


A Very Jersey Christmas

by IzzyWritesStuff



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Christmas, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mpreg
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-22
Updated: 2018-12-02
Packaged: 2019-02-18 14:44:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 36,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13102353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IzzyWritesStuff/pseuds/IzzyWritesStuff
Summary: Steve and Danny travel to New Jersey to celebrate Christmas with the Williams family. As usual, things don't quite go according to plan.





	1. An Early Christmas Gift

**Author's Note:**

> This story takes place after 8.10 and there are some spoilers. (This story is not beta'd) -- Mpreg is a natural thing in this story.

**December 20th**

Steve stares at the smooth, white ceiling and tries not to flinch when a squirt of cold gel hits his exposed lower abdomen. An equally cold ultrasound wand touches his belly and he inevitably tenses. “Try to relax, Commander,” a voice to his right says gently and he briefly flickers his eyes to Doctor Kahele, who is smiling at him with kind, brown eyes. He smiles back, sheepishly, and exhales. He’s a Navy SEAL, for heaven’s sake! He can lie on a gurney and not freak out. Granted, he’s never been in this particular situation before, but that still doesn’t explain the nervous tingling in his limbs and fingertips. On the next exhale, he uncurls his tightly clenched fists and lets his sweaty hands rest at his sides. The thin paper that covers the gurney is crinkled under his palms, and he wonders if everyone who’s lying on this surface feels as restless and fidgety as he does at some point during this process.

 _Process_. Can he even call this a _process_? It sounds way too negative. It’s an examination. He’s getting _examined_. Although, getting examined makes it sounds like he’s sick, which he isn’t. He isn’t sick, he’s—

“… definitely pregnant.”

Steve catches the last of the doctor’s words and almost lurches off the gurney. She chuckles, as if this isn’t the first time she’s seen this happen, and lays her gloved left hand gently on his right shoulder, while the other one still presses the wand against his belly. His eyes jump from her tanned face, to the monitor, and back to her face. “What?” He blurts out the first thing that comes to mind.

Doctor Kahele slowly lets go of his shoulder and grabs the monitor to pull it closer. She point at something that looks like a small kidney bean. “The pregnancy test you took was _not_ a false positive like you thought it was. Because this, right there, is your baby, Commander. And from what I can tell, I would estimate that you are around eight weeks along.”

He stares at the squirming kidney bean with unblinking eyes. When he bought the home pregnancy test last week in a spur of the moment decision after spending the better part of the night throwing up Danny’s homemade spaghetti, he never imagined that there would be a positive result. And even less than the little blue plus on the stick, did he expect to get the positive test result confirmed by a real doctor. Although he’s baffled, he’s not completely surprised, because he and Danny have a very active sex life, and during their time in quarantine – after their exposure to a deadly virus – condoms just hadn’t been available. That hadn’t stopped them, though. The only thing that almost _did_ stop them was the shooter that nearly ripped Danny away from him. The thought of that nightmarish incident still sends a shiver down Steve’s spine, mainly because they still have no motive, no info and no explanation about the vicious attack.

“Commander McGarrett, are you listening to me?”

Steve shakes himself out of his gloomy thoughts and smiles apologetically at the doctor. “Sorry, I’m listening. I’m eight weeks along, you said?” He asks, gaze drawn back to the monitor. The black-and-white image is frozen now, but it still amazes him. There’s a human being inside of him – A real living and ( _almost_ ) breathing human being. He resists the urge to touch his tummy and focuses on what Doctor Kahele is saying instead.

“Do you see that little dot that keeps flickering? That is the heartbeat. A bit to the right is the baby’s head,” she points out. “These are the arms and legs. Let’s do a little measurement.” The doctor opens a menu and the cursor switched to something that looks like a ruler. She holds it next to the baby and keeps it in place with two simple mouse clicks. Steve squints and reads the number 2.01cm on the screen, so roughly 0.8 inch. Beneath that, he sees the estimated due date, which is 1st August.

Fascinated, Steve stares at the picture of his baby. _His_ _baby_. His heart skips a beat when he realizes what that actually means. Not only for him, but also for Danny. Holy shit, they’re having a _baby_!

Doctor Kahele grins at him. “It’s quite mesmerizing, isn’t it?” Steve can only hum in agreement. With another mouse click, the doctor takes a screenshot. “This is for you to take home. Nelly is going to print it for you. I’m sure you want to show the sonogram to your partner,” she guesses with a wink. Afterward, she puts away the ultrasound wand and hands Steve a tissue to wipe the sticky gel off his stomach. “Take your time getting up. You might get a little dizzy,” she warns as she pulls off her latex gloves and throws them into a nearby waste bin. While cleaning himself up, Steve can’t help but look down at his flat abdomen. There’s no trace of a baby bump and it’s hard for him to imagine that what he just saw on the screen is actually inside of him. With a smile, he pulls his black shirt back down and buckles his belt. He slowly gets to his feet.

“I would suggest that we arrange a date for your second appointment right away to do some more tests. We’ll take a closer look at your general health and—“

The vibrating of Steve’s phone against his thigh interrupts Doctor Kahele. He quickly apologizes and reaches into his pocket to retrieve his cell. Before he even looks at the screen, he’s already got a pretty good idea on who’s calling him. It can’t be work-related, because Five-0 is on an official two-week Christmas break. That only leaves one more person he can think of. “It’s my boyfriend,” he mutters and sends the call to voicemail. He told Danny he has a liver-checkup. A little white lie, because he didn’t want to get his partner’s hopes up in case this was all a false alarm. Looking back at the doctor, he smiles charmingly. “Before you continue, can I ask a question?”

Doctor Kahele nods. “Of course, Commander.”

“It’s save for me to travel, right?”

Almost instantly, the doctor nods her head. “It’s not going to be a problem. The only thing you need to be a little wary of is the morning sickness. By now, you have surely realized that just because it is called _morning_ sickness, it does not just affect you in the morning.” Steve snorts, because, yeah, he’s _definitely_ figured that one out already. “That is why I would suggest you just take it easy during the trip. Plan enough time to get to the airport and relax before you board the plane. And do not carry any heavy luggage. When is your trip, if I may ask?”

Steve glances down at his wristwatch, brows wrinkled as he calculates in his head. “Plane leaves in two hours.” The doctor sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose.

 

 

Danny curses when another one of his calls gets sent straight to voicemail. He’s going to _strangle_ Steve once he’s back from his appointment at Tripler. Glancing at the alarm clock on his bedside table, he grits his teeth. Their plane is scheduled to depart in less than two hours and his boyfriend seems to have fallen off the face of the freaking Earth!

“Grace, are you done packing?” He shouts over his shoulder, hoping that at least his teenage daughter is finished. She and Charlie are only going to stay with them over Christmas, because they will be flying to England on the 26th to spend New Year with Rachel and her family. It’s a compromise he and his ex-wife agreed on, and it had surprisingly not ended in world war three. “ _Grace!_ ” He yells again, when he does not get an answer.

“ _What?!_ I’m talking to Will!” Grace shouts back, sounding annoyed. _“Oh, teenagers”_ , Danny thinks and rolls his eyes. He chooses to just let his daughter be for the moment and let her skype with her boyfriend, who she hasn’t seen for all of thirty-six short hours. In teenage time, though, that’s half a lifetime.

With a huff, Danny tosses another pair of socks in his own suitcase and glares at Steve’s, which sits opened on the other side of the bed. The day before, Steve had arrived at the Williams house with a perfectly packed suitcase. How it’s possible for him to now have an unpacked one again is beyond Danny, and he draws the line at packing his boyfriend’s stuff. He’s already done it for Charlie and himself, and Steve is old enough to pack clothes and shoes for two weeks by himself. If he ends up with only two pair of jeans and one sweater because he pulled everything out again, so be it.

“Charlie, stop it!” Danny hears his daughter’s aggravated hiss from the living room. The annoyed, “Dad! Charlie keeps touching the iPad!” that follows doesn’t surprise him at all. He huffs out a breath. “Stop fighting or I’ll take it away from both of you!” He shouts back. They don’t have time for this.

Quickly going over the content of his suitcase in his head, Danny decides that whatever’s not inside at this point, will be left behind. He quickly zips the suitcase closed and heaves it off the bed. He grunts when a sharp stab of pain blossoms in his upper right chest and he feels the weighty bag slip out of his hold. But before the suitcase falls and possibly shatters one of his toes, another pair of hands easily plucks the piece of luggage out of his faltering grip. “Jesus, Danny. What are you doing?! You know you’re not supposed to lift anything heavy yet!”

Danny collapses backward to sit on the mattress. He has his eyes squeezed shut and his left hand pressed to his chest, but even without looking he recognizes Steve’s voice. “W-Where the hell have you been?” He pants and attempts to glare at Steve. But the air gets stuck in the back of his throat and he ends up wheezing and coughing.

“Danny, stop it,” Steve warns and Danny feels one of his boyfriend’s warm hands on the side of his neck. Opening his tearing eyes, he squints at his partner, who is crouching in front of him. “Take deep and even breaths.” He follows the command and slowly gets his breathing back under control. When he finally manages to open his eyes, he meets Steve’s concerned gaze. “You okay? Do you need a pain pill?”

Danny clears his throat. “You still haven’t told me where you’ve been. And what did the doctor say about the liver and radiation poisoning?” He counters and points at the alarm clock. “We’re going to miss our flight!”

With a heavy sigh, Steve pushes to his feet again. “The doctor was running behind, and everything is fine,” he explains as he rounds the bed to the side he usually occupies when they’re at Danny’s house. “And we’re _not_ going to miss our flight. Tani has already picked up Eddie and we’re done packing. All we have to do is call a cab to the airport. Done.”

“No, _I’m_ done packing,” Danny corrects as he stands up as well. He’s carefully rubbing at the scar under his shirt while stabbing a finger at Steve’s messy suitcase with his free hand. “You, on the other hand, still have your toothbrush in the bathroom, two sweaters in the living room and a pair of boots in your truck. And those are just the things I happened to see.”

An A+ example of Aneurysm Face appears on Steve’s handsome face as he stares at the inside of his suitcase. If Danny wouldn’t know any better, he’d think Steve has forgotten about all those items he really needs for their trip. “Huh,” Steve mutters. “Guess I better hurry up then.”

“Yeah, you better! I’ll go check if my kids have murdered each other yet,” Danny mutters and moves to leave the bedroom. In the doorway, he stops and turns to point at his and Charlie’s luggage. “Can you take this outside?” Steve gives him a sharp salute and one of his smiles that make Danny feel weak in the knees. “No games, babe. If we miss this flight, you’re not going to be around to see the next year. Got it?”

Steve smirks. “Got it.”

 

 

Despite the odds, they make it to the airport and to the gate in time. It’s nowhere near a relaxed or calm affair, but by the time the plane takes off, they all sit in their assigned seats. “I told you we’d make it. And we weren’t even the last ones to board the plane,” Steve grins as he leans back in his seat and makes himself comfortable for the long flight to Newark. He stretches his long legs as far as possible and squirms until he’s found a good position.

Danny, who’s sitting by the window, sighs. “Fine, we did make it. No thanks to you, though. Next time we travel somewhere, I’m forcing you to finish packing the night before.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Steve mutters, allowing the hum of the engine to lull him in. He’s always felt comfortable on planes, even after his horrific experience during their undercover operation a few years ago. Before he drifts off, he glances to his left to Grace and Charlie, who are sitting across the aisle from them. They’re both engrosses in a movie and he suspects that they won’t hear a single peep from either one of them for the duration of the flight. With a smile, he turns his head back to Danny, who’s already wrapped himself in the blanket that was handed out by the nice flight attendant. “You look cozy,” Steve teases and nudges Danny with his elbow.

“I _am_ cozy,” Danny confirms with a sleepy smile. He shifts a little closer to Steve and lays his head on his boyfriend’s shoulder. He’s still getting tired a bit more easily than before getting shot, and Steve is more than happy to lend a shoulder to rest on. “You’re comfy,” Danny mutters.

Chuckling, Steve presses a kiss to Danny’s temple. “Glad to hear that.”

“Try to get some sleep as well,” Danny advises, as he wraps an arm around Steve’s waist. “Because as soon as we’re at my parent’s house, you’ll need _all_ your energy. Trust me.”

Steve nods, but he’s too distracted to answer. He feels the weight of Danny’s arm against his belly, and he remembers that there’s still something he hasn’t told his boyfriend. A very _important_ something. He just needs to find the right time, and that time definitely isn’t now, because Danny’s already drooling on his shirt.

Chuckling, Steve settles more comfortably against the seat and closes his eyes as well. He thinks about how next year, there’s going to be five of them, and how lucky he is to have such an amazing family. He’s almost asleep, when the flight attendants roll out the service trolley and start serving drinks, including tea and coffee. And it’s the smell of the latter that makes Steve’s stomach lurch unexpectedly. Swallowing thickly, he turns his head and nuzzles his nose deeply into Danny’s hair. The familiar smell quells the sudden nausea and he manages to fall sleep – Until they hit turbulences four hours later.


	2. Welcome to New Jersey

Danny wakes to the sound of a crying baby a few rows behind them. He has no idea what time it is, but the lights inside the cabin are dimmed now and when he looks around, he sees that most people are sleeping – Or trying to, at least. Because while the first part of the flight was smooth and calm, it seems like they’re just about to hit some rough turbulences. The airplane is already shaking slightly. As on cue, the fasten seatbelt sign comes on and the sound of dozens of clicks can be heard.

Lifting his head off Steve’s shoulder, Danny looks past him toward his children. They’ve both fallen asleep, Grace with her headphones still on her head, and Charlie slumped in his sister’s lap – Both buckled in. It’s a heartwarming sight. Danny is just about to point it out to his boyfriend, when he notices that Steve is still asleep. Apparently, the turbulences don’t affect him at all and he just slumbers on. Typical.

The shaking increases and Danny’s heart rate spikes when the plane dips unexpectedly into an air pocket. Instinctively, he tightens his hold on Steve. His partner might be able to shake all the traumatic experiences he’s had in airplanes off, but Danny can’t. The memory of the plane crash still haunts him to this day. Closing his eyes, he takes a deep breath and wraps his arms more tightly around Steve. What he doesn’t expect is the uncomfortable grunt he hears. Opening his eyes again, he peers back up at Steve. This time, he notices that his partner doesn’t just have his eyes closed, because his jaw is clenched and his body is tense. Steve isn’t asleep, after all.

“Babe, you awake?” Danny murmurs, just as the baby in row twenty-seven starts to wail like a siren. It obviously isn’t a fan of turbulences, either. Steve shifts, and Danny doesn’t miss the grimace that briefly passes over his face. Maybe he isn’t able to just shake off the entire ordeal he’s been through. There’s more shifting, and Danny frowns when Steve grabs his right wrists and nudges it off his body. They sometimes joke about not giving each other enough personal space, but they’ve never really had a serious problem with it, so this is odd.

Danny is just about to ask about the reason, when Steve blows out a shaky breath. “Don’t press down on my stomach, please,” he mutters, eyes still closed. Danny’s confused, but then he notices his boyfriend’s pale complexion in the dim light and the constant bobbing of his Adam’s apple. And if there’s one thing Danny is **very** good at, it’s reading Steve’s body language, especially after his encounter with the radiation poisoning.

The plane dips again, people gasp, and Danny tenses. He twists in his seat, mindful of the still healing wound in his chest, and touches Steve’s cheek. It’s clammy. “Since when are you getting sick on planes? Is this some progressed form of car sickness?” He half jokes, trying to lighten the mood a bit.

Steve gives him a strange look, and it seems like he’s about to say something, but then he just bites his lip. Danny nudges him gently, pushing for an answer, and Steve clears his throat. “Must be the dinner. Thought it tasted funny,” he offers, just as the plane jolts violently. Steve lurches a bit in his seat and Danny’s already fumbling with the sickness bag.

When he hands it to Steve, the SEAL just glares at it with a displeased grimace. “Over my dead body,” he mutters, before he unbuckles his seatbelt and lurches to his feet. Danny wants to stop him, but he’s already halfway down the aisle with one hand clasped over his mouth, while the other one clutches seat after seat as the plane shudders severely. Blowing out a breath, Danny glances down at the sick bag in his hand. This is the last thing he expected. It looks like not only does Steve get carsick when he’s not driving himself, he also gets “planesick” if he doesn’t get to _fly_ himself. Great.

 

 

Steve spits into the small sink inside the even smaller lavatory on board after rinsing out his mouth with fresh water. He’s managed to grab a bottle from one of the flight attendants, right before his dinner had made a very ugly reappearance. He’s never before been prone to getting sick on planes or boats. It’s usually just cars that make him nauseous. But, apparently, the pregnancy has changed some things. He glares down at his stomach. “Thanks for that,” he grumbles to his unborn baby. “Danny’s now gonna fuss over me for the rest of this trip now.”

As if the universe has heard him, there’s a loud knock on the door. “Steve, babe? Are you alright?”

“See, I told you,” Steve hisses, as he reaches over to unlock the door. When he pushes the door open, he’s met with an extremely worried Danny, who instantly looks him up and down. It’s the same kind of once-over he gives him after a dangerous shootout or hand-to-hand fight. Steve smiles, trying to make his partner relax. “I’m fine. Dinner just wasn’t sitting well with me and all that shaking made it worse. But I’m all good now.”

Danny squints at him, as if trying to figure out if he’s being lied to. “You still look pale,” he points out, and Steve wants to groan. They still have five hours to go, and he would really like to just return to his seat and get some more shuteye. Because while he’s not feeling sick anymore, throwing up has kind of exhausted him a bit.

“Danny, I’m _fine_ ,” he repeats. “You can stop worrying now.”

Danny sighs. “Okay, fine. I believe you,” he mutters and reaches out to grab Steve’s hand. “Let’s go back to our seats. I already got my butt kicked by that scary looking flight attendant because I got up while the fast seatbelt sign was on. You, of course, managed to avoid a lecture. It’s your special skill, it seems,” he grumbles, hinting at the many times Steve’s managed to avoid Governor Mahoe’s endless speeches about proper behavior of an elite task force. Chuckling, Steve follows his boyfriend back to their seats.

 

 

Fortunately, the rest of the plane ride passes without a hitch. They both fall asleep again right away and wake up when breakfast is served. To Steve’s surprise – and great relief – his stomach growls hungrily when he smells food. He polishes off his own serving of soggy scrambled eggs and bacon, as well as half of Danny’s, who happily hands his tray over. “You’re disgusting,” is the only thing Danny says as he sips his watery coffee.

 

 

When they arrive in Newark at six o’clock the following morning, they’re all well rested – More or less. Steve catches the wince on Danny’s face when he gets up from the uncomfortable seat, and he instantly reaches for his boyfriend’s carry-on bag in the overhead compartment to rummage for the pain pills he knows must be in there. He pours them in Danny’s open palm, and he swallows them without protest. He also doesn’t complaint when Steve shoulders both their bags. It’s obvious that the long flight didn’t help the healing wound below Danny’s collarbone.

When they enter the baggage claim area, Steve sends Grace to snatch a luggage trolley. He can carry all their carry-on items, but there’s no way he is able to carry the bags _and_ pull the suitcases.

Luckily, all their things arrive pretty quickly and Steve piles them onto the trolley, while Danny tells Charlie about all the amazing things they’re going to do once they’re at Grandma Clara’s house; building a snowman, going ice skating, throwing snowballs, roasting marshmallows in the fireplace, and so on. The little boy is beaming with excitement, and Steve gets it, because he can’t wait to see the Williams family again, either. He loves them just as much as his own family.

“Bridget has already pulled up outside. She’s driving Pa’s Honda,” Danny announces after checking his phone, just as Steve hoists the last bag on top of their pile. His back gives a little twinge, and he remembers the doctor’s warning about not lifting anything too heavy. He cringes. _Oops_. “Babe, are you listening?”

Steve blinks. “Of course I’m listening. Bridget. Outside. Honda. Got it,” he summarizes with a wink to Charlie and starts to push the trolley toward the exit. Grace falls into step next to him, phone already glued to her face again, and Charlie holds onto Danny’s hand as they make their way outside.

Now, Steve has endured _a lot_ during his days with the SEALs, but the prickling cold that hits him right in the face once the sliding doors part, is breathtaking. _Literally_. He struggles to suck in a proper breath of icy air and curses when the chilled air makes his lungs seize up. While he’s learned to accept New Jersey and its _attributes_ , the one thing he will never get used to, is the freezing weather during winter. He glances at the three members of the Williams family, about to tell them to put on their coats, when he sees that they’re all already wrapped in thick jackets. It’s Danny’s turn to grin now. “Are you sure you were listening before? Because I told you to put on your jacket.” Okay, maybe he _wasn’t_ listening after all. He quickly retrieves his own coat and puts it on.

“There’s Aunt Bridget!” Grace says, pointing at a dark blue Honda on the other side of the road. Steve turns, watching Danny’s sister jog across the street. She’s wearing a black, fuzzy headband, and a thick coat that would probably keep her warm even in the Antarctica.

“There you guys are!” Bridget laughs. “I’ve been waiting for ages!”

Danny chuckles. “Don’t exaggerate. I know you. You’re always late. You’re just lucky we hit turbulences and had a fifteen minute delay,” he says, as he allows his sister to wrap her arms around him. “Careful,” he grunts when she squeezes a bit too tightly and Steve winces in sympathy. He can almost feel the reverberating pain in his own chest.

Bridget lets go of her brother right away. “Sorry,” she apologizes, smile faltering a bit. But she manages to force it back on her pretty face when she notices Grace and Charlie looking at her. “Where are my favorite niece and nephew?” She asks instead, and leans down to hug them both.

While they are hugging, Steve throws a look at Danny to check if the pain pills have already kicked in. But Danny doesn’t notice his worried gaze. He’s too busy grinning at the little family reunion, and that’s good enough for Steve.

After saying hello to Grace and Charlie, Bridget straightens up again and grins at Steve. “Come here,” she says, arms out. “It’s so good to see you again, Steve. It’s been too long.”

“You should come to Hawaii more often,” Steve says. “And bring the whole family along.”

Bridget chuckles. “I’m sure the kids would love that. They haven’t stopped talking about it since I showed them all the pictures I took when I was there last time.”

“Talking about the kids,” Danny buts in. “How are they?” He throws an arm over Bridget’s shoulder and the pair starts walking toward the car. Grace, who’s finally put away her phone, grabs Charlie’s hand and trails after her father and aunt. Steve hangs back a little, just watching them. A warm feeling spreads through his chest, and he knows that the next two weeks are going to be great, despite the freezing weather. With a smile, he follows them to the car with the luggage trolley.

 

 

The ride from the airport to the Williams’ home takes about an hour. Steve knows that Bridget is a good driver, but he dreads the drive nonetheless. He’s not feeling nauseous anymore, but that can change any second once he sits in a car. Thankfully, Danny offers the passenger seat to him, and Steve gladly takes him up on it. He’s already thrown up once today, and he doesn’t need a repeat. Especially not in Eddie Williams’ car.

The two older Williams siblings keep the entire car occupied as Danny peppers his sister with questions about the family, her job and private life. It’s pretty hard to get a word in, so Steve just lets the conversation wash over him and enjoys the time he gets to spend with the lively and loud family.

Sixty minutes later, Bridget hasn’t even fully stopped the car in the driveway of the Williams family home yet, the front door flies open and Clara bursts out. “Where are my beautiful grandchildren?” She asks, as she makes her way down the shoveled pathway in winter boots.

Steve climbs out of the car as well, and almost slips when he steps on a frozen puddle. He manages to clinch to the car door and prevents a pretty graceless tumble. Behind him, Danny snickers. “Left your ninja moves at home, eh, babe?” He teases, as he tilts his head up to press a kiss to Steve’s jaw. “Don’t break anything,” he adds with a wink and rounds the car to greet his mother. Steve just sighs and follows him with careful steps. He decides to quickly unload their bags, while Clara is busy marveling at how much Grace and Charlie have grown.

A second pair of hands helps him to unpack the luggage, and he startles when Bridget quietly mutters into his ear, “Is Danny really okay? He’s had us all worried.”

Steve swallows. He would prefer to never think of that day again, but he knows Danny’s family has questions. “He’ll be fine,” he replies. “He’s still a little sore and tires easily, but he’s going to be fine. I’ll make sure of it,” he promises and offers a comforting smile.

Bridget doesn’t have enough time to reply before Clara pushes past her daughter to throw her arms around him. “Steven, I’m so glad you could make it!” She gushes.

“Thanks for having me,” he replies, smiling. “You look fantastic.”

Clara waves him off with a slight blush. “Oh, stop it. I’ve had this dress for ages,” she says, plucking at the velvety material of the knee long, royal blue dress she’s wearing. The pearl necklace makes the outfit look even better. “Come on. Grab your suitcase and let’s get you inside. It’s cold out here. And I’ve just made some eggnog!”

Danny, who’s a couple of steps ahead of Steve and his mother, looks over his shoulder. “Ma’s eggnog is the best. You’re gonna **love** it.”

Steve cringes. Eggnog is made with _alcohol_. Alcohol, which he isn’t allowed to drink. Another thing he didn’t think of. He thought he’d only have to hide the morning sickness from the family, but it looks like there’s a little more he needs to watch out for. Because now that he thinks about it, there are also certain foods he should avoid. Not to mention certain activities. He blows out a frustrated breath. This would be way easier if he would just tell Danny about the pregnancy. But, during the flight, he’s come up with a plan. He’s not just going to tell his boyfriend about their baby. No. He’s going to surprise him on Christmas. But until then, he needs to keep this a secret – Which isn’t going to be easy, because the second he steps into the house, someone shoves a glass of hot eggnog into his hand. The sweet and rich smell alone almost turns his stomach.

It’s going to be a rough four days…


	3. Snowball Fight

Danny welcomes the warmth that engulfs him when he enters his family home. He peeks around the corner into the living room and grins when he sees fire dance wildly in the old fireplace. That’s one of the things he really misses about living in an environment where winter is an actual thing – Making a fire on a cold day and sitting on the couch, soaking up the heat. He has a fireplace at his house in Hawaii, but it’s not the same. And although it’s not even nine o’clock in the morning yet, the smell of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies is in the air, making his mouth water. This is what Christmas is supposed to be like. Palm trees, board shorts and 85-degree weather have no place during this time of the year, despite what his crazy boyfriend may think.

Speaking of which. Danny looks over his shoulder at Steve, who is taking off his coat and more or less winter-appropriate shoes. He’ll definitely need to put on better footwear when they’re going outside again to pick out a Christmas tree later in the day, though. Otherwise, Steve is going to break a leg or an arm – or his neck.

“Uncle Danny!” A voice shrieks and he is just in time to turn back toward the living room, when a blond girl barrels into him, almost knocking him off his feet. He grabs onto the wall to keep his balance.

“Sophie, hey,” Danny greets Bridget’s daughter and carefully leans down to kiss the top of her head. Unlike Grace, who’s got more of Rachel’s coloring, Sophie looks like a true Williams with her flaxen-haired curls and bright blue eyes. She’s the splitting image of her older sister, Emily, who’s already sitting on the couch with Grace, engrossed in something on the iPad. Bridget, who’s taken off her jacket as well, rolls her eyes at the two teenagers and calls her daughter over to at least say hello. The girl, which is one year older than Grace, gets up and trudges over to them. Her long hair is pulled up into a messy bun, and her jeans are ripped. It’s what all the cool kids wear nowadays, Danny knows from his own daughter.

“Hi, Uncle D,” Emily says and wraps her arms around his waist. She’s almost taller than he is, which isn’t particularly hard to achieve, if he’s being honest.

Danny pats her back. “Hey, Em. How’s it going? Do you remember Steve, my boyfriend?” He asks, nodding toward Steve, who comes up next to him with a glass of eggnog in his hand. Danny has no idea where he’s got the drink from so fast, but he definitely wants one as well. Who cares about the time?

Emily giggles when Steve holds out his hand, and Danny has to bite back a grin when he sees the blush that creeps up on his niece’s face. He remembers, the last time Steve accompanied him to New Jersey, Emily developed a bit of a crush on him. Not that Danny can blame her, because Steve is a handsome and very attractive man. “Hi, Steve,” Emily snickers nervously.

“Hey, ma, where is pa?” Danny asks, looking around the living room. He expected his father to sit on the sofa, watching TV, but the TV isn’t on. Toeing off his boots, Danny looks up the stairs, thinking he might be taking a nap.

“He’s outside, chopping wood,” his mother explains as she takes off Charlie’s coat and gives the boy a peck on the rosy cheek.

As on cue, the backdoor opens and Eddie Williams walks in. “I thought I heard a car pull up!”

“Pa,” Danny greets his dad with a wide grin. He quickly crosses the living room and hugs his father tightly. Eddie’s skin is cold, which means he must have been outside for a while now. The fact that he still prefers to chop wood himself, instead of just buying it, reliefs Danny. It means he’s still doing well, even in his higher age. This is something Danny always worries about, especially because he lives so far away. If something were to happen to his parents, it would take him a full day to reach them, at least.

“Son, it’s good to see you.” Eddie pulls back and squeezes Danny’s shoulder. His gaze lingers on what Danny knows must be the location of his gunshot wound, and he wishes he could take away the dreadful look in his father’s eyes. Eddie might have seen a lot during his job as a firefighter, but that does not prepare you for when your own child gets hurt.

To Danny’s great relief, Steve manages to pull his father’s attention away from the healing injury, by engaging him in a conversation about old cars. It’s a hobby both his father and boyfriend share – An opportunity for them to bond.

Twenty minutes later, after more hugs and hellos, they are all sitting in the living room with eggnog, tea and cookies, and everyone is talking and laughing. There’s joking, playful jabs and hilarious stories from the past. To Danny, being surrounded by the people he loves and cares about is the best way to spend the holidays.

 

 

After settling into Danny’s old childhood room, which now contains a queen-sized guest bed, the entire family drives to a nearby farm where beautiful Christmas trees are sold. While Sophie builds a snowman with Charlie, Grace and Emily take some pictures of each other to post on, Steve guesses, Instagram. Meanwhile, the adults take a look at the various pine trees and decide which one’s the best fit for the Williams family home. Clara and Bridget make a beeline for one of the larger ones, instantly in love. Eddie rolls his eyes and trails after them. “That tree won’t even fit through our doorway,” he explains with a sigh. Steve, who’s put on the sturdy pair of boots he’s bought especially for this trip, watches Clara and Bridget try to persuade the head of the family into buying the tree. He chuckles.

“Just don’t interfere,” Danny laughs, and hooks his arm through Steve’s. “They do this every year, and pa always loses the argument. It’s even worse when Stella’s here. She loves to argue. We always end up with the largest and most expensive tree in the neighborhood,” Danny explains.

“Good to know,” Steve chuckles, burying his hands deeper into his jacket’s warm pockets. It’s freezing outside, and every puff of air turns into a white cloud. But the scenery is beautiful. The trees are covered in a fine blanket of snow, and the shining sun makes the landscape look like winter wonderland. It’s stunning, and Steve loves every second of it.

“Danno! Uncle Steve! Look at our snowman!” Charlie yells happily. Steve and Danny both turn and glance at the slightly crooked snowman, whose nose consists of a large pinecone the kids must have found somewhere.

“It looks great, buddy!” Danny praises his son and niece’s work.

“Great work!” Steve adds and gives them a thumbs-up.

Steve catches Danny stare at his fingers. Before he can ask a question, Danny captures the hand in his gloved one, and squeezes. “Where are your gloves? Didn’t you bring gloves?”

Shrugging, Steve allows his partner to knead his cold fingers. “Didn’t think I’d need them,” he explains, not willing to reveal that he’d simply failed to buy them, even though Danny had told him several times.

The huff Danny lets out brushes against Steve’s cheek. “What do you mean you _didn’t think you’d need them_?! Babe, it’s almost zero degrees!” He exclaims. He takes both of Steve’s cold hands into his own and brings them up to his mouth to breathe warm air on them.

Steve’s heart swells with love for his boyfriend. “Danno, it’s fine,” he says, smiling. “I’m not cold.” That’s a lie, obviously, because it’s _freezing_ out there. But he’s not going to miss out on quality time with his family, just because he forgot to buy a pair of gloves. And having Danny rub his numb fingers isn’t too bad, either.

“You’re unbelievable,” Danny mutters, as he brings Steve’s hands up to his mouth and presses a soft kiss to his knuckles.

“Love you, too,” Steve grins. He pulls Danny closer and wraps his arms around him. “You can warm me up when we’re back home. I heard sharing body heat during cold nights is _very_ important.”

The playful grin on Danny’s face sparks a hot fire low in Steve’s belly. “Oh, that’s what you’ve heard, huh?” Danny says, bumping his nose against Steve’s.

The sudden rush of desire is interrupted when a snowball hits Steve in the back of his shoulder. Blinking, the private moment between him and Danny vanishes, and they’re back in the middle of the farm, surrounded by trees and people. Steve blushes, and takes a step back. “We should probably wait with this until we’re back home,” he mutters, a bit embarrassed. He catches Bridget’s amused grin as she forms a second snowball, and quickly looks away with a silent groan.

“We probably should,” Danny replies, sheepishly, and ducks when his sisters attacks again by throwing another snowball at them. “Cut it out, Bridge!” He yells, but laughs.

“Are you scared I’ll kick your butt?” Bridget challenges, while cradling another perfectly sculpted snowball in her palm. “Even with Stella on her fancy Caribbean cruise, I’ll finish you off!”

“Oh, it’s on!” Danny replies, and bends down to scoop up some snow. Steve sees the brief wince on his boyfriend’s face, but before he can say something, a snowball hits him square in the face.

“Steve and Danny against the rest of us!” Bridget declares, as she seeks cover behind a wooden board. For the next twenty minutes, a relentless snowball fight takes place. Charlie and Sophie run to Bridget’s aid, and after a while, even Grace and Emily join the battle. Clara and Eddie watch them from a distance, probably still arguing over the size of the tree. Despite their training, Steve and Danny stand no chance against the team of six. They’re outnumbered and by the time they surrender, they’ve got snow even in their underwear and socks.

 

 

By the time they make it back home with the tree strapped to the roof of one of the cars – It’s the large one the women of the family wanted – it’s already getting dark. Ted, Bridget’s husband, has returned from work and joins the family. While Clara is preparing dinner, Eddie and Ted carry the tree around the house to trim it a bit. Steve and Danny offer their help, but everyone tells them to have a seat and relax. They don’t need to be told twice.

After changing into more comfortable, and – more importantly – _dryer_ clothes, they cuddle up in front of the fireplace. They wrap an afghan blanket around their bodies and Danny puts his head on Steve’s chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart. “We’ll decorate the Christmas tree tomorrow. It’s always a family affair, and a special member of the family gets to add the star on top of it in the end.” He looks up and smiles at Steve. “I’ve heard rumors that this year’s special person is going to be a handsome man from Hawaii.”

Steve smiles. “I feel honored.”

Danny raises an eyebrow at him. “Who said I was talking about you? I was talking about me.”

A lazy smile tugs at Steve’s lips. “Can you even reach the top of the tree, Danno?” He jibes playfully, hand squeezing his boyfriend’s side. His eyelids are growing heavier, and he has a hard time keeping his eyes open. Although it’s only early afternoon in Hawaii, he’s exhausted. The day is catching up to him, and he’s tired.

“Hey, don’t fall asleep before dinner,” Danny says, poking him in the ribs. “Ma makes her famous ravioli.”

“Hmm…” Steve hums. Then he dozes off.

 

 

Danny watches his boyfriend slumber peacefully. Steve’s usually like an Energizer Bunny and never runs out of steam, but his family has a way of exhausting even the most energized people. He loves his family with all his heart, but for someone who’s used to a quiet and calm atmosphere at home, it can be a little much. And Danny can’t blame his partner for nodding off after such an eventful day.

Gently, he cranes his neck and kisses Steve softly on the mouth. He doesn’t wake up, just smacks his lips a bit. Danny chuckles, and carefully climbs off the couch. He grabs the blanket and spreads it over Steve. It’s going to be at least another twenty minutes before dinner, so he lets him sleep.

Following the heavenly smell of his mother’s cooking, he strolls into the kitchen. “That smells delicious, ma,” he admires, glancing around her to peek into the various pots on the stove. His stomach rumbles.

Clara bumps him away with her hip. “Don’t touch!” She warns. “If you want to make yourself useful, you can cut up the tangerines for dessert.” She hands him a knife, a cutting board and a bag with fresh tangerines. Danny starts to peel them.

“Steve seems to enjoy himself,” Clara says as she stirs one of the pots. She adds some fresh thyme to the food.

“He does,” Danny agrees, then laughs. “Although, he passed out on the couch on me. I think we’ve worn him out.”

Clara giggles and winks at her son. “We have that effect on people.”

Danny grins back at her, but then his expression sobers. “But he’s bound to be tired. He’s barely left my side since I got shot at the hospital. He’s always there, taking care of me, the kids and all the other things that need to be done. Sometimes, I think he was more terrified about me dying than I was.”

“That’s because he loves you,” Clara explains. There are tears in her eyes now, and Danny feels guilty about revealing that much to his mother. He knows she must have been frightened when she had learned about the attack. He quickly puts down the knife and pulls her into his arms. “Hey, ma,” he says, quietly. “I’m fine. Everything’s fine,” he tries to sooth her.

“I know,” she chokes out. “I just worry about you.”

Danny tightens his arms around her. “Ma…”

They stay like this for a while, and when Clara pulls back, she wipes her eyes and smiles sadly. “I’m glad you have Steve in your life. He’s good for you.”

“He is,” Danny confesses. “But don’t tell him I said that. It’ll get up to his head,” he adds with a wink.

His mother pats his arm lovingly. “I promise.” They share a smile. “Come on, now. Finish cutting the tangerines. I’m almost done with dinner. The kids are upstairs, but the must be starving.”


	4. Blast from the Past

Steve has never eaten more ravioli in his entire life, but the feeling of not being able to move after dinner is definitely worth it, because there’s nothing tastier than Clara’s homemade ravioli. It’s a recipe from Danny’s Italian grandmother, and Steve will definitely have to sweet-talk Clara into giving it to him.

“Are you ready to decorate the tree tomorrow morning?” Danny asks when they’re lying in bed a few hours later. Snow is silently falling outside and they’re cuddled up under the covers, with Steve spooning his partner from behind. Danny shifts, pulling Steve’s arms more tightly around himself.

Steve nuzzles Danny’s neck. “I hope I’ll live up to the high expectations,” he chuckles.

“You should! We Williams’ take decorating the Christmas tree very serious,” Danny points out, and Steve is not sure if he’s kidding or not. “We have ornaments from my great-grandmother, and they’re very valuable. Ma even keeps them locked away during the year.”

“Locked away?” Steve repeats, frowning. “Isn’t she afraid someone will knock one down when they’re up on the tree? Or is there going to be a some kind of barrier I’m not aware of?”

Danny huffs out an amused breath. “Don’t joke about this. When Eric was a toddler, she actually put up a barrier made out of wooden boxes because he kept ripping the ornaments off the tree. He drover her absolutely nuts.”

Eric, the oldest of the Williams grandchildren, is due to arrive in New Jersey on the 24th. Originally, he was supposed to take the same flight as Steve and Danny did with the kids, but the self proclaimed womanizer met a beautiful girl from France who’s vacationing in Hawaii, and he set his mind on spending every second with her until her departure. Meanwhile, his parents are on a Caribbean cruise and will miss Christmas and New Year this year.

They are quiet for a few minutes, and Steve thinks that Danny has fallen asleep, but then his boyfriend twists in his arms and their eyes meet. “I’m really glad you’re here,” Danny smiles, and leans forward to lovingly kiss him. Even after all those years together, there are still butterflies fluttering in Steve’s stomach, and he can’t wait to tell his boyfriend that their family is about to expand.

 

 

Because the first two days in New Jersey went without a pregnancy-related hitch for Steve, he’s frustrated when he wakes up feeling lousy the next day. Lying on his side, he tries to bring his roiling stomach back under control by breathing in and out slowly and deeply. He’s facing away from Danny, but he knows by the sound of his boyfriend’s even breathing that he’s still asleep.

Steve’s dozing for a while, blocking out the queasiness and the light cramping in his abdomen. He’s not worried about either of these things, because Doctor Kahele has told him that those symptoms are very likely to pop up in the near future. The morning sickness he’s already familiar with, and the cramping is just his body adapting to the growing life inside of him. Despite that knowledge, feeling sick and achy is frustrating – Especially when you’re expected to partake in family activities all day long.

There’s laughter downstairs, and Steve can hear Charlie’s loud voice. The boy definitely is his father’s son. Clara and Eddie are probably already up as well, and everyone is waiting for them.

Carefully, so he doesn’t upset his stomach any further, Steve rolls over to face his boyfriend. He smiles when he lays eyes on Danny, looking peaceful and serene in his sleep. Steve’s gaze travels from his face further down. Despite the cold weather outside, Danny still sleeps shirtless. The blanket is pooling low around his waist, allowing Steve a perfect view of the pink scar high on his chest. His smile falls. An unexpected wave of emotions washes over Steve, and he finds himself getting choked up. Damn hormones…

As if sensing that he’s being watched, Danny’s eyes flutter open. Steve quickly forces the disturbing emotions to the background of his mind and puts a smile on his lips. “Good morning,” he mumbles, and leans forward for a soft kiss.

“Morning,” Danny replies, voice heavy with sleep. Downstairs, Charlie squeals again, and Danny chuckles against Steve’s lips. “We should probably get up as well. Breakfast will be ready soon.”

The mention of food almost makes Steve gag. There’s no way he can face plates full of scrambled eggs, bacon, pancakes and waffles right now.

“Actually, I’m still stuffed from dinner last night,” he says, hoping his partner will buy the excuse. “I’ll just take a shower and meet you downstairs later, alright?”

Danny frowns. “You’re still full from dinner? But you’re never full,” he laughs, making Steve blush. It’s true. Sometimes, even Steve himself wonders how he manages to look the way he does despite the amount he eats. It’s probably got something to do with the excessive exercise he pushes himself to complete on a daily basis.

“Your mom’s cooking is phenomenal, but I don’t think I could eat right now,” Steve explains with a shrug.

Danny nods slowly, as if mulling the words over in his head. Then he starts to grin. “Listen,” he begins and reaches out to rub Steve’s chest. “Ma’s cooking is great, but it can be a little tough on an inexperienced digestive system, which all the carbs and things. So, if you need any help with, you know _… it,_ just let me—“

Steve grimaces, understanding what Danny is implying. “Oh, shut up,” he interrupts and slaps his laughing boyfriend’s hand away. “Just get up already,” he says and practically shoves him out of bed. Laughing, Danny gets up. With a wink, he disappears into the hallway.

Huffing out a breath, Steve gets out of bed as well. He wanders into the attached bathroom and turns on the shower before stripping out of his pajamas. He catches sigh of himself in the mirror, and automatically turns sideways. His left hand runs over his naked belly, and he smiles when he sees the slightest outline of a bump. It’s not obvious, and Steve doubts that someone else would notice it. But, to him, it’s clear as day. He pats his stomach with a grin, before climbing into the shower.

 

 

Danny watches his kids polish off pancake after pancake without getting enough. Although, who’s he to judge? He’s already on his third one as well.

His mother insists on keeps two pancakes in the oven for Steve, convinced he’ll want some after his shower. It looks like she has made it her personal mission to feed Steve on every occasion. It makes Danny smirk.

“Danno, can I call Will after breakfast?” Grace asks, giving him her best puppy dog eyes. She might be almost sixteen now, but it still works like a charm.

“Yes, you can,” Danny approves, making Grace beam. While in Jersey, he’s limited her phone use to one hour a day. He gets it, she’s a teenager, but he doesn’t want her hanging on her phone all day long. Instead, he wants her to spend time with her family and enjoy the holidays with them. Steve has agreed with that decision.

They’ve just finished breakfast, when Steve comes walking down the stairs. “Morning, everyone,” he says with a smile, before making a beeline for the kitchen. His parents have told him to feel at home and just take whatever he wants, which is exactly what he does when he pours himself a cup of hot tea.

“There’s also coffee, babe,” Danny yells over his shoulder, but Steve waves him off. He throws a teabag into the mug and joins the rest of the family at the kitchen table.

“Bridget and the girls will be here in about an hour,” Clara explains, as she starts to collect the empty plates. Grace jumps up to help her.

Eddie pushes his chair back. “We better get the ornaments down from the attic then. Let me just get the key.” Danny winks at Steve and gives him an _I-told-you-so_ look.

“I’m so excited!” Charlie exclaims, bobbing up and down on his chair. “Santa is going to **love** our tree!”

 

 

Unfortunately, two hours later, the mood has changed quite a bit. Eddie sighs. “The lights don’t work. I tried changing out the bulbs, but it didn’t help,” he says, shaking his head at the useless string of Christmas lights in his hands.

Charlie’s bottom lip starts to tremble. “But we need Christmas lights on the tree! Otherwise, Santa won’t stop by our house!” He sniffs and throws himself at Steve, who’s sitting on the carpet next to the now almost fully decorated Christmas tree. The former SEAL wraps his arms around the boy and stares at Danny, looking a little lost.

Danny crouches down to the pair and runs his hand over his son’s head. “Don’t worry about it, buddy. Uncle Steve and I will go to the store and buy new ones. _Better_ ones that shine brighter than the old ones, okay?”

The boy partly turns his head, fixing his father with one eye. “Promise?”

“I promise,” Danny smiles and ruffles Charlie’s blond hair.

Seemingly happy with the answer, Charlie lets go of Steve. “Okay.”

“That’s settled then,” Danny says and claps his hands. He smirks at Steve. “C’mon, babe. I’ll take you sightseeing.”

 

 

Snow is falling again by the time Steve and Danny are driving down the street. According to Eddie, there’s a Home Depot just around the corner, and they sell all kinds of things for Christmas – Christmas lights included.

Steve looks out the window, watching the white scenery fly by. He would have preferred to drive himself, but Danny had refused to give in and hand over the keys. “This is _my_ turf, Steve,” he had argued, and Steve was too weary to fight with him.

Truth be told, he’s still not feeling all that great. The nausea is still there, nagging him, and his belly feels tight and crampy. He tries not to let it show, but the discomfort is putting a damper on his mood, making him grumpy and irritable.

“Everything alright?” Danny asks, just as they pull into the parking lot of Home Depot. The place seems crowed despite it being early in the day, and finding a free spot might be difficult.

Steve clenches his yaw. Even the question stirs annoyance in his gut. “Everything’s good,” he replies curtly, cursing himself for how snappy the words come out.

“If you didn’t want to come with me, you could have just said so,” Danny says, throwing him a short glance. “I just thought it would be nice for you to get out of the house for a bit.”

“I said everything’s fine,” Steve repeats. “Can you drop it?”

Sensing the bad temper, Danny rolls his eyes. “Sheesh, alright. Calm down. What’s gotten into you today?”

Steve bites his tongue, keeping in the snippy reply. He doesn’t want to argue with Danny. Doesn’t want to argue with _anyone_. Today’s just not a good day for him, and that’s the real issue. It’s not Danny, or anything Danny has said or done. It’s him. Him and his damned hormones that are suddenly all over the place. Making him angry, and upset, and needy all at the same time. Steve clenches his fists.

Fortunately for both of them, there’s an available parking spot. Danny quickly pulls in and they both climb out of the car. Steve breathes in the crisp air, trying to quell the nausea and his temper. “I’m sorry,” he apologizes, making Danny look at him. “I didn’t mean to snap at you. I’m just tired. Didn’t sleep well last night.”

Danny tucks the keys into his pocket and rounds the car. Instead of looking annoyed, he looks sympathetic. He touches Steve’s cheek. “Don’t worry about it. I know my family can be a lot to handle. And if you need to blow off some steam, lay it on me.”

Chuckling, Steve leans down to bump his nose against his boyfriend’s. “I love you,” he whispers.

“I love you, too,” Danny says, right before their lips meet.

When they part again, Danny grabs Steve’s hand. “Let’s go buy some Christmas lights.”

As the parking lot has already made quite clear, Home Depot is crowded like crazy. Hand in hand, they make their way down various aisles until the end up finding what they came here for. The amount of colors, lengths and shapes is overwhelming, and for a few minutes, the just stand in front of the large shelf, taking everything in.

“I don’t even know where to start,” Steve admits, as he looks back and forth between two different boxes. One of them costs fifteen dollars more, but he can’t for the life of him find the difference. They look exactly the same.

Next to him, Danny looks just as clueless. “They gotta be warm white. But I don’t know how long.”

Steve sighs, already reaching into his picket for his cell. “Let me call your dad.” His thumb is already hovering over the number, when someone behind them calls Danny’s name. Looking up, Steve and Danny both turn at the same time. A man, approximately their age, is quickly walking down the aisle they’re in, a box of what looks like nails clutched in his hand. A huge grin is plastered on his bearded face. Steve glances at Danny, about to ask if he knows the guy, when Danny steps forward.

“Moby!” Danny replies, grin equally as big as the strangers.

The man – Moby, as Steve has gathered – opens his arms. “Danny Williams! Dude, I haven’t seen you in forever! What are you doing here?” The hug they share is brotherly and Steve is pretty sure they know each other fairly well.

Danny pulls back. “I’m home for Christmas,” he replies, before waving a hand at Moby. “What about you? Last I heard, you moved to New York with Clarissa.”

Moby smirks. “We did move to New York. But two months after that, Clarissa got pregnant and we moved back to Jersey, to be closer to our families. Nigel is three months now.”

“Wow! Welcome to fatherhood, my man,” Danny laughs, clapping Moby on the shoulder. “Enjoy changing smelly diapers and cleaning up vomit for the next couple of years. I’m glad mine are passed that stage now.”

The words feel like a dagger to Steve’s heart. Is this really what Danny thinks? Is he really that happy about not having a baby or a toddler in the house anymore? Steve suddenly feels nauseous again, but it has nothing to do with morning sickness.

“Moby, let me introduce you to my boyfriend,” Danny says, and Steve snaps back to attention. He blinks at the hand that’s extended toward him, and it takes his whirling mind a second to realize that he needs to shake said hand. When he does, he forces a smile on his lips.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Steve,” he says, throat feeling dry as a bone.

“I’m Alberto, but everyone calls me Moby. I was a little chubbier back in High School,” he explains the nickname with a grin.

“A _little_?” Danny laughs, reaching out to pinch the guy’s side.

Moby laughs, batting Danny’s hand away. “Alright, alright. A _lot_ chubbier! But look at me now! I look handsome!”

There’s more laughter, but Steve can hardly focus on it. His head is still spinning with what Danny said.

“Listen, Danny, the boys and I are getting together tonight. Lorenzo’s bar is closing for good by the end of the year, and we thought it would be fun to hang out again one last time. You know, for old time’s sake. You and Steve should come, too!”

Danny seems to think about it for a moment. “I haven’t seen the other in years. It’d be nice to see them again,” he says, before looking at Steve. “What do you say, babe?”

“Yeah, sure,” Steve agrees, even though he doesn’t feel like going out at all. The other two don’t seem to notice, though.

“Great!” Moby grins. “Eight PM at Lorenzo’s. See you there!” With that, he turns and walks back the way he came from.

Steve feels like the ground has fallen out from underneath his feet.


	5. A Mother's Intuition

“You’re gonna love my old high school friends,” Danny keeps repeating, as they drive back to the Williams home twenty minutes later. “We used to fool around together all day long, and we got called into the principal’s office on more than one occasion. One time, on the day before summer break, we stole four pigs from a nearby farmer and let them loose inside the school. Man, I can’t wait to see those guys again and see what they’re up to!”

Steve tries to share his boyfriend’s excitement over running into his old friend, but the heavy feeling inside his chest makes it hard for him to do anything but mull over the words Danny had said. If he thinks about it rationally, he _knows_ that Danny’s casually made comment was just a joke to tease his friend. But, despite that knowledge, a trace of doubt remains, making Steve feel insecure.

The rest of the drive is mostly Danny sharing stories about his teenage years, and Steve nodding in what he hopes are appropriate moments. Danny doesn’t seem to notice the absent-minded comments, and just keeps on chatting. Leaning his head back, Steve watched the snow-covered neighborhood fly by.

 

 

Back home, they put up the newly bought Christmas lights. Charlie gets to turn them on for the first time, making everyone cheer and smile. The tree looks amazing, just as predicted.

“Now, for the most important part…” Clara says, as she bends down to pick up a dark blue, rectangular box. Cautiously, she pops open the lid and reaches inside. With utmost care, she takes out a beautiful golden star. It’s shiny and sparkling, due to dozens of tiny crystals. She gazes at the star fondly, before she looks up to seek out Steve in the group of people. “Steve, would you do us the honor?”

Getting up from where he sat down on the couch, Steve walks toward her. “Of course,” he answers with a proud smile. He takes the delicate piece from her hands, and walks over to the tree. Carefully, he stretches and sets the glass star on top of the tree. He makes sure it’s secured, before he pulls back to eye his handiwork.

“It looks great!” Sophie says, and the others all agree. Bridget claps him on the back, and congratulates him for not breaking anything.

Afterwards, there are more cookies, hot tea, mulled wine – which Steve discreetly avoids – and board games. Everyone is having fun and a good time, and even the persistent nausea Steve’s been battling the entire day, seems to slowly fade. He even manages two cookies and a slice of banana bread.

In the afternoon, they go outside to build a snowman and play some ice hockey on a frozen pond. Steve soon realizes that he’s got absolutely no talent whatsoever, and joins Clara on a nearby bench. After he’s taken off his ice skates, Clara hands him a thermos and urges him to pour himself a cup of hot tea. He gladly accepts, because he’s freezing and he’s not sure if his toes are still attached to his feet.

Everyone seems to he having fun, and the competitive spirit appears to be embedded in the DNA of each and every Williams family member. They all want to win, even six-year-old Charlie, who wobbles unsteadily on his ice skates.

Steve’s is busy checking his phone to make sure HPD’s got everything under control in Hawaii, when he hears a shouted warning, a dull thud and high-pitched screams, followed by Clara sharp intake of a breath. His gaze snaps back up, and his heart skips a beat when he sees Danny lying on the ground, with Bridget sprawled on top of him. Before he’s aware of what he’s doing, he’s already lurched to his feet and is running across the snow-covered ground. When he reaches the frozen pond, he slips on the sleek surface and almost goes down twice. But he manages to get to Danny’s side without falling. “Danny!” He shouts, as he sinks to his knees next to his boyfriend. Bridget has already scrambled off him, a shocked expression on her face.

Danny is curled on his side, wheezing and coughing. His eyes are screwed shut and his face is almost as white as the snow. “S-Shit…” He pants, fingers digging into his chest.

Somewhere in the distance, Clara orders all the children to get off the ice. Steve mentally thanks her for that, and hopes that Grace and Charlie follow their two cousins off the ice and away from Danny.

“Danny, tell me what’s wrong,” Steve urges his partner, as he puts a grounding hand on his back. “What hurts?” Crouched on the other side of Danny, Eddie grumbles about his too competitive kids that never know when it’s enough, while Bridget announces that she’ll call an ambulance.

“N-No,” Danny wheezes. “I’m… fine.”

Steve shakes his head, heart pounding in his chest. “You’re not fine,” he argues, voice sounding sharper than intended. “You can hardly breathe!”

“Just… gimme a moment,” Danny replies, as he sucks in another breath.

Despite better judgement, Steve gives his boyfriend the moment he’s asked for, while gently rubbing his hand up and down his back. Molten ice is soaking Steve’s jeans, but he barely registers it. He’s too focused on Danny.

“Danny, we need to get you off the ground,” Eddie says, as he gently grips his son’s shoulder.

Danny nods. “Yeah, okay. Help me up.” He attempts to sit up, face etched into a pained grimace. Steve’s chest tightens in sympathy.

“Careful,” Steve mutters, as he and Eddie slowly help him to his feet. A groan of pain makes it past Danny’s lips, and he doubles over. Steve’s panic skyrockets. He’s seen the ugly wound on Danny’s chest, and he knows how close Danny came to dying. “Danny…”

“Stop with the face,” Danny croaks. “I’m okay. Just… Just got the wind knocked out of me.” He looks at Bridget, who stands nearby, biting her lip nervously. “I’ll get you back for that one, Bridge,” he warns, and laughs breathlessly.

The more time passes, the better Danny’s breathing gets. The pain lines around his eyes disappear and fifteen minutes later, he walks upright again, as if nothing has ever happened. Grace and Charlie are still a bit in shock, but Danny reassured them that he’s fine. Despite his words, everyone agrees that the fun outside is over. After apologizing again to her brother, Bridget and her daughters say their goodbyes and head home.

While Grace and Charlie watch a movie with their grandmother and grandfather, Steve marches Danny upstairs so he can take a look at the healing injury. With a lot of grumbling and complaining, Danny strips down in their room. Pushing him down on the bed, Steve sits next to him and prods the pink scar. “Steve, it’s fine,” Danny says for the hundredth time.

“Let me be the judge of that,” Steve replies, completely focused on his task. There’s a huge bruise on Danny’s left elbow, and another one on his left hip. It’s already turning a vivid shade of purple. “Can you breathe okay? Does anything else hurt?”

Danny bats his prodding hands away. “Okay, enough. I fell, I got the wind knocked out of me. It’s not like the blade of Bridget’s ice skates pierced my chest or anything.”

Flashes of Danny’s bleeding body are reawakened in Steve’s mind and he feels a wave of nausea wash over him. He swallows the memories and bile down. “I just want to make sure you didn’t hurt yourself,” he explains his protectiveness.

Danny sighs. “I didn’t, babe. Trust me. You’re the first person I’d tell if I’d think something was wrong, okay?” He puts his hand on Steve’s knee and squeezes. “We good?”

Rubbing a hand down his face, Steve nods. “Yeah.”

“Good,” Danny says, getting up. “Because we need to get ready.”

Steve blinks. “Get ready?”

“Yeah,” Danny says, while unbuckling his belt and pushing down his pants. “We’re going out tonight, remember?”

Steve jumps up as well, staring at his boyfriend with wide-eyes. “You still want to go?”

Danny stops mid-movement and looks at Steve with confusion. “Of course. Why not?”

“ _Maybe_ because you just got mowed down and have a bruise the size of _Texas_ on your side?” Steve grits out, hand waving at the colorful marks on his boyfriend’s body. If it were up to him, they would take it easy for the rest of the evening. Maybe he’s being over-protective right now, but the sight of Danny on the ground, not moving, haunts him. It makes him feel uneasy.

“Are you serious right now?” Danny snaps. He crosses his arms over his chest and Steve knows they’re about to get into a real argument. “Do I have to remind you of all the stupid things _you_ have done in the almost eight years that we’ve known each other? Do you want a list of how many times you went against doctor’s orders and ripped your stitches or injured yourself further?” His eyes are narrowed and staring angrily at Steve. “You are in **no** position to lecture me about this!”

Steve wants to protest, to object, but one look at Danny’s reddened face tells him that he would only make things worse. So, instead of replying, he grits his teeth and lower his gaze, hands on his hips.

“Didn’t think so,” Danny grits out, as he stomps to the bathroom and closes the door.

Steve doesn’t know what just happened. They don’t argue often. When they get into arguments, it’s mostly because of some stupid nonsense. But this time, it felt a bit more real. With a sigh, he flops down on the bed and throws an arm over his eyes. He hears the shower turn on, and lets himself be lulled in by the steady rush of water.

 

 

Two hours later, their cab pulls up in front of Lorenzo’s, the bar they’re meeting Danny’s high school friends at. There’s still tension between them, but they both prefer to just ignore it for the time being. Steve is fine with that, because he’s not in the mood to discuss their issues at the moment, anyway. Because, unlike Danny, who drives carefully and slowly down the icy streets of New Jersey, their cabdriver had obviously confused the road for a racetrack. By the time they reach their desired destination, Steve’s pretty sure he’s going to puke.

While Danny pays the driver, Steve stumbles out of the back of the cab and sucks in deep breaths. His stomach is roiling and lurching, and he coughs when a gag threatens to make him throw up dinner. He’s suddenly not sure if accompanying Danny was such a good idea. But it’s too late now. On shaky legs, he follows his boyfriend inside.

“Danny, hey! Over here!” Someone yells, and Steve tries to make out the voice’s owner in the sea of unknown faces. The bar is crowded, the air stuffy and the music booming. He latches onto Danny’s arm and lets his boyfriend tow him through the people to a booth in the back of the bar.

“Guys, it’s good to see you!” Danny shouts over the loud music. Hugs and handshakes are exchanged, and numerous people introduce themselves to Steve. He tries to keep track of all the names and faces, but they just blur together. The five men make room for Steve and Danny to sit, and Steve finds himself sitting next to his boyfriend, with a cold beer bottle in his hands. Old stories about all the things the boys have done are shared, and Steve tries to enjoy hearing all the fun tales about Danny as a naughty teenager. Unfortunately, the persisting queasiness is putting a heavy damper on Steve’s mood.

“Let’s do shots!” One of the guys – Ryan? – suggests, and the others are eager to agree. Even Danny, who Steve has never seen doing shots before. When someone pushes a shot glass toward him, Steve shakes his head and hands it over to Moby, who’s more than ready to take two shots.

Three shots each and even more beers in, their booth is by far the loudest and drunkest.

“No, seriously! That’s what Danny did!” The ginger haired guy of the group laughs, after he’s done telling a story involving Danny slashing open all the basketballs in the school’s gym.

Steve looks at Danny, who’s red-faced due to laughter and alcohol. “That was pretty epic! Man, we did so much crap inside that gym. I can’t believe Coach Miller never caught us,” Danny laughs, voice slightly slurred.

“We’ve done quite a few naughty things inside that gym. Right, Danny? Remember prom night? We had a blast.”

Steve’s eyes snap to the guy sitting across from Danny, who is smirking flirtatiously. Throughout the night, he noticed that Kenny is looking at Danny in a weird way, but Steve didn’t connect the dots – Until now. Gritting his teeth, the dares the man to say anything else.

Moby, who obviously caught the murderous expression on Steve’s face, squeezes Kenny’s shoulder. “Keep the dirty details to yourself, man. That was a long time ago.” Kenny shrugs, and takes another sip from his beer.

More time passes, and Steve is longing for his bed. The smell of beer and tequila causes his stomach to roil, and the stale air makes him dizzy. He wants to go home and lie down.

Things take a turn for the worse when the waitress serves them a huge, greasy pizza. The sight alone makes bile rise in the back of Steve’s throat, but when the cheesy smell hits his nose, he knows his battle with nausea has finally come to an end. He quickly excuses himself from the table and pushes past the crowd to rush to the restrooms.

 

 

Steve looks up when the door to the restroom is pushed open and the music gets louder, before the door falls shut again, muffling the sound again. He’s not surprised to see Danny. “Wha’s going on?” His boyfriend slurs, hanging onto the wall, because he’s obviously too drunk to stand unaided.

Steve turns his head again, and splashes more cold water on his face. “I’m not feeling well,” he says. There’s no point in lying to Danny when he’s this hammered.

Danny staggers over to him. “Why?” He asks, shiny eyes looking Steve over. “’s it the beer?”

“I don’t know,” Steve replies. “I think I’m gonna head home.”

Something that looks like disappointment crosses Danny’s features, and Steve suddenly feels guilty for ending his partner’s night this abruptly. Danny is enjoying himself, and he shouldn’t have to give up on spending time with his old friends, just because of him. He grabs Danny’s arm. “Why don’t you stay? I can take a cab by myself. It’s fine.”

A brief glimmer of hope flares in Danny’s eyes, before doubt replaces it. “Are you sure?”

Steve smiles. “I’m sure,” he confirms. “Are you gonna be alright getting home by yourself?”

Danny snorts in amusement. “Babe, I’ve been finding my way home for the past 24 years of my life. Don’t worry about me,” he says smugly.

“Okay,” Steve chuckles tiredly. He pulls Danny into his arms and presses a kiss to his temple. “See you at home, alright? Tell the others goodbye from me.”

Danny gives him a thumb up, before slipping out of the door in disappearing into the crowd again. Blowing out a breath, Steve sags against the sink. Despite the underlying worry for his drunken boyfriend, he knows that going home is the right thing to do. Because his stomach is cramping and feeling extremely tender, and he knows that the bouts of vomiting aren’t over yet. He just hopes he’ll be home for round two.

 

 

Half an hour later, Steve gets out of the cab at the Williams house. It’s two in the morning, and everything is quite. Snow is falling heavily outside, swallowing up all the noise. With one arm wrapped around his middle, Steve climbs up the six steps and unlocks the front door. He’s shaking, but feeling hot and sweaty at the same time. He quickly takes off his shoes and is just about to go upstairs, when another wave of nausea hits him. He clamps a hand over his mouth, and rushes down the hallway to the downstairs bathroom. Shoving open the closed toilet lid, he’s just in time before he throws up for the second time that night. The violent heaving goes on forever, and by the time his stomach has finally settled again, he’s totally spent and exhausted.

A knock on the door startles him, and he hopes it’s not one of the kids. Climbing to his feet, he quickly closes the lid and flushes the toilet. He rubs his sweaty face, before turning the knob. He’s surprised to see Clara on the other side of the door, wearing a blue bathrobe. He swallows. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to wake up.”

Clara smiles kindly. “Are you okay, sweetheart?”

He wants to tell her that he’s fine, but his stomach clenches again, causing him to swallow thickly. Clara rubs his arm.

“Come on, I have something that will make you feel better,” she whispers. She grabs his arm and gently guides him down the hallway to the kitchen. After making him sit down at the kitchen table, she rummages through a cupboard. Steve pinches the bridge of his nose.

A couple of minutes later, she sets down a glass in front of him. He looks at the milky looking liquid and grimaces. Clara puts a hand on his back. “Drink it. It will get rid of the nausea and the stomachache.”

Steve picks up the glass, but his doctor’s words ring in his head again. There are numerous medications out there that are not recommended for pregnant people. And since he’s got no idea what this is, he doubts that he should drink it. He bites his lip and looks at Clara. “I don’t—“

She interrupts him by putting a warm hand on his cheek. “Don’t worry. It’s save for you to drink.”

He blinks, perplex.

Clara chuckles. “I have given birth to four children, Steven. I can see the signs.” She leans down and gives him a motherly kiss on the cheek. “Get some rest.”

Mouth hanging open, Steve watches her disappear.


	6. Arguments and Big News

It’s a little past four in the morning when Danny lurches out of the cab. Clinging to the door, he squints at the brightly decorated house in front of him, trying to make sure he’s given the driver the correct address. “Thanks, man,” he slurs, when he’s confirmed that he is, in fact, standing in front of his parents’ house. He tosses the cabbie a few bills, telling him to keep the change. He’s way too wasted to realize that he’s just tipped the guy twenty dollars.

More than once, he stumbles on his way to the front door. Everything around him is spinning, and he’s pretty sure he’s going to have the hangover from hell tomorrow.

It takes him three tries to insert the key into the lock, and when the door finally swings open, he stumbles uncoordinatedly, tripping over his own two feet. Giggling, he straightens up and quietly closes and locks the door behind him. Sloppily, he toes off his boots and shoves them in a corner along with his heavy winter jacket. He’ll take care of it tomorrow. Eyeing the stairs, he sighs. He’d rather crash on the couch, which is only a few steps away, but he knows his parents won’t appreciate it. Gosh, he feels like a teenager all over again.

When he reaches the top of the stairs, he’s winded. Not because of his healing lung, but because of the alcohol that’s sloshing nauseatingly in his belly. Maybe, he should have sat out the last round of shots… He burps into his closed fist. Yep, _definitely_ should have sat it out.

The door to his and Steve’s bedroom is closed, and he tries to be quiet when he turns the knob. Unfortunately, his hand slips, and instead of being silent, he bumps into the door, which causes it so slam into the wall. The loud bang echoes through the house.

“Danny?” A sleepy voice murmurs, and Danny hears the covers rustle.

“Go back t’sleep,” he whispers, as he closes the door. It’s pitch dark inside their bedroom, and he shuffles forward, trying to blindly find his way to the bathroom. He almost makes it, but his hand connects with the lamp that sits on the dresser, knocking it down. The noise of splintering glass is heard and he curses loudly.

“God, Danny! Are you serious?!” Steve huffs, right before the overhead light is turned on. Danny blinks against the brightness of it and turns his head to squint at Steve, who’s now sitting upright in bed. His hand is still on the light switch, and he does _not_ look happy.

“‘m sorry,” he shrugs, swaying in place. He puts his hand onto the dresser for balance.

Steve rubs his eyes and shakes his head. “How much have you had to drink? You smell like you took a _bath_ in tequila.”

Shrugging, Danny starts pulling his stained sweater over his head. “Kenny tried to pour a shot int’my mouth ‘nd missed.”

“Kenny, huh…”

Danny sniggers, completely oblivious to the rising tension surrounding them. “We used to do that all the time,” he explains. “We tried t’see if we still got.”

“Sounds like you had fun.” The words sound bitter, and Danny frowns, because his alcohol muddled brain does not quite understanding why.

“Are you mad t’me? Why’re you mad?” He asks.

Steve huffs out an agitated breath. “Just drop it,” he replies, and flops back down, rolling over so his back is to Danny. “You’re drunk and I don’t want to talk about this at four in the morning.”

The attitude stirs annoyance in Danny’s gut. He’s had a great night, and he won’t let Steve bring him down just because he’s in a bad mood. “Wha’s your problem? You _chose_ to leave!” He snaps, throwing up his arms.

“Danny, I said I don’t want to talk about it,” Steve growls, which only adds to Danny’s anger.

“The hell’s going on with you?! Are you jealous? You’re jealous, aren’t you? Of Kenny!” Danny snarls, hands balled to fists. His head is spinning, and he has to blink a few times to bring Steve’s blurry silhouette back into focus.

“Drop. It,” Steve grits out. His voice sounds calm, but the underlying anger is oozing out of him steadily. Danny doesn’t care.

“’m **done** with your moodiness, Steve,” he slurs. He spins around – almost tripping again – and stomps into the bathroom. He slams the door.

When he exits ten minutes later, the lights in the bedroom are off again. It looks like Steve is sleeping, but Danny knows better than that. But he’s done with the argument. So he just slips into bed, turns his back to his partner, and closes his eyes.

 

 

When Danny wakes up the next morning, his head is pounding fiercely, and his tongue is glued to the roof of his mouth. Groaning, he throws an arm over his burning eyes, trying to shut out the light from the outside sun. It looks like it’s going to be a sunny and beautiful day – Danny couldn’t care less. He wallows in self-pity and curses himself for drinking his weight in beer and tequila last night.

An urgent pressure in his bladder eventually forces him to get up. Slowly, he pushes himself into a sitting position. The room tilts, and he has to swallow back bitter bile. His stomach gurgles ominously.

With his face pinched, he slides to the edge of the mattress and puts his bare feet on the floor. He briefly closes his eyes and rubs the throbbing spot between his eyebrows. Then, when he’s gathered enough stamina, he pushes upright. Everything spins out of control, and for one quick moment he fears he’s going to puke right then and there. Fortunately, the feeling passes. Hand shielding his sensitive eyes, he stumbles into the bathroom to take care of business and take a cold shower.

 

 

When he emerges from the shower a while later, he feels slightly more human and a tiny bit less hung-over. The pounding in his head and the queasiness in his stomach are still there, but he’s ninety-five percent sure he’s not going to barf onto his mother’s carpet.

It’s then that he realizes that the bed is completely empty. He blinks at the old alarm clock on the bedside table, surprised to see that it’s only eight o’clock. _“Why am I up already? And why is Steve up already?”_ He wonders, before shaking his head. He’s got a fuzzy memory of Steve leaving the bar early, and then getting upset about something when Danny came home. But _why_? All the thinking doesn’t help his headache, so Danny decides to find his boyfriend and just ask him to fill in the blanks.

As he passes the wooden dresser, he notices that something is missing. _The lamp_ , he eventually realizes. A fleeting memory of knocking it over resurfaces, and Danny winces. His mother loved that stupid lamp. Looking down, he expects to see shards everywhere. But there’s nothing. Someone must have cleaned it up already. Yeah, he needs to find Steve and ask him some questions.

Danny’s not surprised to find both his kids still sleeping when he passes their room. He smiles, and quietly retreats, not wanting to wake them. He spots his father outside, chopping wood again, and eventually finds his mother in the kitchen, preparing breakfast. Steve is nowhere to be seen.

“Morning,” Danny mutters, as he drops heavily into a chair at the kitchen table. The smell of food makes him both hungry and queasy at the same time. He presses the heels of his hands into his eye sockets until he sees bright sparks. He’s never going to drink again.

“Good morning, sweetheart,” his mother says in a chipper voice. She sets down a cup of steaming coffee in front of him and ruffles his hair. “Rough night?”

“You have no idea,” Danny sighs, as he wraps his hands around the hot mug and inhales the strong smell of black coffee. “I’m not even sure how I got home last night,” he admits.

Clara grins. “I want to scold you for drinking like you’re back in collage, but from the looks of it, you’re already suffering without your mother giving you a talking-to.”

Danny huffs into his mug. “Yeah.” After taking a few sips, he looks around. “Hey, where’s Steve?”

Clara walks back to the stove to check on the eggs she’s boiling. “He went to the bakery around the corner to get fresh croissants. I wanted to send Eddie, but he insisted. Your father is going to pick up Eric from the airport in a bit,” she explains, and Danny drops his aching head back into his hands. The last thing he needs right now is his nephew’s loud and obnoxious behavior.

“Is Steve feeling any better today?” His mother’s question takes Danny by surprise.

“What do you mean?” He asks, frowning.

Clara turns and puts one hand on her hip, the other one holds a large wooden spoon. “What do I mean? I mean the fact that he was really sick yesterday.”

“Sick?” There’s a memory tickling Danny’s brain, but he can’t quite grasp it. He tries to bring it back, and bit-by-bit, he remembers them talking at the bar, after Steve ran off to the restrooms. He remembers Steve telling him that he’s not feeling well, and that he would go home. And he _also_ remembers their argument. Danny swears under his breath. He had completely forgotten about all of it. “Shit.”

Clara sits down across from her son and reaches out to put her hand on his wrist. “What’s going on?”

Dropping his hands, he looks at his mother, embarrassed. “We fought yesterday. I don’t remember all of it, but I think he got a bit jealous because of Kenny. We had a… thing going on back in high school, and Steve – with his ninja Navy SEAL senses – obviously picked up on it. He wasn’t happy to hear about what we did yesterday. We didn’t do anything bad, but he got upset.”

“Oh, Danny,” Clara sighs. It a sigh he’s heard dozens of times in his life. It’s the kind of sigh that tells him that he’s done something stupid. “I know you were excited to see your friends again, but you need to take Steve’s feelings into consideration as well. Especially now.”

He nods his head, feeling guilty. “I didn’t even ask how he’s feeling when I came home last night. I hope it’s not a stomach bug… Tomorrow’s Christmas…”

Clara pats his arm. “Don’t worry. I’m sure he’s fine. Morning sickness tends to pass rather quickly.”

“Yeah, I—Wait, what?” Danny backpedals when his mother’s words sink in. “Morning sickness? What are you talking about?”

Realization hits Clara like a train and she slaps her hand over her mouth. She pales. “Oh my God,” she breathes, looking shocked and mortified. “You didn’t know…”

Danny can literally feel the blood drain from his face. He stares at his mother, jaw hanging open, mind blank. He stammers, tries to get actual words to come out of his mouth, but the only thing he manages are some ridiculous, high-pitched noises.

“Daniel, honey, I’m _so_ sorry! I though you _knew_!” She explains, eyes wide. She covers her face with her hands. “I’m an idiot.”

“Steve’s… Steve’s pregnant?” Danny chokes out, unable to properly process the news. “I… I gotta go. I have to talk to him,” he says, and pushes up from the chair almost robotically. His body feels numb, but at the same time, his brain is working overtime. As fast as his rubbery legs allow, he hurries to the front door. His boots and jacket are still lying in a heap on the ground, and he quickly puts everything on, not caring that he’s still wearing his pajamas. Then, he’s out the door and running down the street.

 

 

Danny has almost reached the bakery, when he sees a familiar shape on the other side of the road. Steve’s got a white plastic bag in his hands, and his phone in the other. He’s completely engrossed in his cell, and doesn’t notice Danny.

“Steve!” Danny yells, voice sounding breathless. He’s not supposed to do anything too strenuous due to his healing wound and lung, but this just couldn’t wait. Panting, he runs across the street, barely missing getting clipped by a car.

When the car honks, Steve’s head flies up. His eyes widen. “Danny!” He shouts, almost dropping his phone. “What the hell are you doing?!”

As soon as he’s reached his boyfriend, Danny doubles over to suck in deep breaths. His lungs are burning and he’s slightly dizzy. “S-Steve…” He wheezes, pawing at his partner’s jacket.

“Danny, what is going on? What happened?” Steve wants to know. There’s panic in his voice, and Danny grimaces when he realizes that he’s put that panic there. He straightens up and swallows. Steve grabs his elbow, worry written all over his beautiful face. Danny can’t help but smile – And that seems to confuse Steve even more. “Danny. Did something happen?”

Danny looks up into Steve’s blue eyes. He takes Steve’s hand into his own. “You’re pregnant,” he breathes out, voice quivering with emotions. Tears of joy are suddenly threatening to overwhelm him.

Surprise replaces the fear from before, and Steve stares at him. “How did you find out?”

“Ma accidentally let it slip out,” he explains with a breathless laugh. “I can’t believe it. We’re going to have a baby!” He wraps his arms around Steve, pulling him closer until he can inhale his boyfriend’s familiar smell.

“We are,” Steve mutters against Danny’s neck. Then he pulls back a little, and smiles sheepishly. “But this isn’t exactly how I wanted you to find out…”

“It doesn’t matter,” Danny interrupts, putting a hand on Steve’s cheek. “I love you.”

Steve smiles. “I love you, too.”

They kiss each other again, in the middle of the sidewalk, right as snow is starting to fall from the sky again. And, just like that, their senseless argument from the previous night is flying out the window. Because now, in this moment, absolutely nothing else in the world matters.


	7. Clothes, Toys, Stuffed Animals And A Small Box

Steve is lazily combing the fingers of his left hand through Danny’s disheveled hair. They’re both naked, cuddled up underneath the covers of their bed, just enjoying being close to each other. He has his eyes closed, and let’s his thoughts drift.

“Do you think it’s going to be a boy or a girl?” Danny mutters, head pillowed on Steve’s chest, while he slowly traces patterns onto Steve’s bare abdomen.

“I don’t know,” Steve replies softly. He hasn’t really thought about it yet.

Danny stops drawing shapes, and instead splays his fingers low on Steve’s belly. “I think it’s going to be a boy.”

“Yeah?” Steve mumbles, feeling himself starting to nod off. After their return from the bakery, they had left the croissants in the kitchen with Clara, before stumbling upstairs in a mess of tangled arms and legs. Clara had just smirked at them.

“Grace and Charlie are going to be super excited,” Danny says, smiling. “I can’t wait to tell them. Actually, I can’t wait to tell _everyone_! I want to shout it from the top of every roof so everyone can hear it.”

Huffing out a soft laugh, Steve pulls Danny closer and presses a kiss to the top of his head. “Easy, Danno. I’m barely nine weeks along. Let’s wait until I’m in the second trimester.”

Danny lightly pokes Steve’s belly and laughs, the sound vibrating through Steve’s chest. “I’m not sure if you’re able to hid this bump for three more weeks.”

Faking shock, Steve lifts his head to look at his boyfriend. “Are you saying I’m getting fat?”

Danny rolls over, so that he’s facing Steve. “No,” he says. “You’re absolutely prefect.”

For a few moments, they’re lost in their own little word, in which it’s just the two of them. Steve feels a beautiful warmth spread through his entire body, warming him from the inside. It’s snowing outside again, and the temperatures are freezing, but he feels warm and loved. “I love you,” he whispers, reaching out to touch Danny’s cheek.

The moment is interrupted when they hear commotion from downstairs. The front door is slammed open, and it sounds like whoever entered has just knocked over the umbrella stand that’s next to the entrance. There’s a loud clattering noise, followed by loud laughter. A _familiar_ , loud laughter.

Danny huffs out a breath and rolls his eyes. “Sounds like Eric has arrived.” Eric’s loud voice drift upstairs, and even though they have their door closed, they can hear every word he says. They can also hear Charlie’s excited scream, which means that at least one of the kids is up already as well.

“Sounds like it,” Steve agrees with a chuckle. He kisses the tip of his boyfriend’s nose, before he shifts out from underneath him. “We should get dressed.”

Danny stops him by planting his hand on the middle of Steve’s chest. “If you want to rest some more, it’s fine. I’ll cover for you,” he offers.

Laughing, Steve shakes his head. “Danny, I’m fine. I don’t need special treatment just because I’m pregnant. In fact, you _can’t_ treat me differently, because otherwise your family is going to suspect that something is up,” Steve warns.

The eye-roll is dramatic, and Steve has to bite back a grin. He knows his partner would prefer to wrap him up in bubble wrap and keep him tucked away safely. “Fine,” Danny agrees. “But the second you feel unwell, I want to know about it. Deal?”

“Deal,” Steve promises.

Danny squints at him for a second, as if trying to figure out if Steve is telling the truth, before he rolls out of bed and bends down to grab his sloppily discarded jeans.

 

 

When they come downstairs, Danny’s parents, both kids and Eric are already sitting at the table, eating breakfast. Thankfully, no one asks where they’ve been. Only Clara hides a smirk behind her cup of coffee. Eric is in the middle of gushing about attractive Laura, the stunning beauty from Italy, who he’s already planning to visit in spring. Danny voices his doubts about the seriousness of the “relationship”, which causes a loud and very animated discussion. While Grace and Clara believe in the romantic aspect of it, Danny and Eddie think that it was nothing more than a holiday flirt to the girl.

Steve lets the conversation wash over him, while munching on a croissant. He loves Danny’s family, but sometimes it’s a bit hard not to lose track when everyone is talking at once.

After a while, the argument dies down, and it’s Charlie who changes the subject. “Can we go see Santa at the mall today? Grandma told me he’d be there because tomorrow’s Christmas!”

All eyes turn to Danny. “Sure. Why not,” he agrees, shrugging.

Charlie bobs up and down happily. “I’m so excited!” And even Grace, who’s technically already a bit too old for Santa Clause, looks cheerful.

“How about in an hour? There won’t be too many people at the mall before noon,” Clara says. “Bridget and the kids are visiting Ted’s parents on the other side of town today, so we don’t have to wait for them.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Eddie agrees, after he’s taken a big gulp of his strong, black coffee. Steve looks at the drink longingly, but his doctor had advised against drinking beverages with too much caffeine. And Steve’s pretty sure Danny would hiss at him like an angry cat if he’d so much as _touch_ a cup. That’s why he sticks with tea.

 

 

Some time later, the family piles into two cars. Eddie drives his Honda, and Danny takes his mother’s Chevrolet. Clara gets into the car with her son, Charlie and Eric, while Steve slides onto the passenger seat next to Eddie, with Grace on the backseat. Danny knows it’s irrational, but he’d rather have Steve and Grace with him. He knows his father is an experienced driver, but the road is icy and the air foggy. Too many people have already gotten into accidents due to those weather conditions.

While Eric and Charlie chat happily on the backseat, his mother seems to notice his uneasiness. She puts her hand on his arm. “Relax, Daniel,” she says quietly. “Your father knows these streets like the back of his hand. The three of them will be fine.” Danny smiles. He knows she’s not talking about Steve, Grace and _Eddie_.

The twenty-minute drive passes without an incident – thankfully – and they arrive at the mall at the same time. They even manage to snag two parking spots right next to each other. When they exit the car, Steve and Eddie are laughing, and the tight ball of worry in Danny’s gut loosens. He has no idea where the sudden rush of worry for his family’s wellbeing came from, but he suspects it’s something like a “protecting/nesting instinct”. Not that he’s going to tell Steve about it, because his boyfriend would most likely laugh at him.

Nonetheless, Danny grabs Steve’s hand as soon as he’s close enough to touch, and he’s not planning on letting go any time soon. Hand in hand, they make their way to the pompously decorated entrance of The Mills at Jersey Gardens.

The second they’re through the door, Grace spins around and looks at Danny. “Can I go to Forever 21, dad? Please!”

“I’m not letting you go alone. You’ve never been to this mall before,” Danny decides. He knows his daughter is almost sixteen, and that he won’t be able to protect her all the time, but he won’t just let her wander around in a different city without supervision, regardless her age.

“What if I take Eric with me?” Grace suggests, making her famous puppy dog eyes.

Danny glances at his nephew, who’s already ogling a pretty blonde girl. He wants to bark out a laugh at Grace’s ridiculous proposal, but the gentle nudge from Steve stops him short. He briefly looks at his partner, who nods encouragingly at him. With a sigh, he gives in. “Okay, fine. But you stay together, got it?”

“Got it, Danno!” Grace grins, as she grabs Eric’s arm and drags him away from the group.

“I’m not sure who’s keeping an eye on whom now,” Danny mutters under his breath, as he watches his daughter and nephew disappear around a corner.

Steve’s squeezing his hands. “They’ll be fine.”

“Eddie and I will take Charlie to see Santa,” Clara announces, and beams down at her youngest grandson. “Why don’t you two stroll around the mall a bit? Everything is so nicely decorated, and there are some new stores you haven’t seen yet,” she tells her son.

Danny nods. “Okay. Charlie, be good for your grandparents, okay?” Then he addresses his parents. “Call me when you’re ready to head home.”

“We will,” Clara says, as she grabs Charlie’s hand and leads him in the opposite direction Grace and Eric went. Eddie smiles, and takes his grandson’s other hand. The sight of his parents with his son makes Danny’s heart swell.

“Should we check out the Disney store?” Steve asks, pulling Danny out of his warm and fuzzy thoughts. Technically, they already have enough presents for everyone, but there’s a possibility that they stumble upon something nice.

“Sure,” Danny agrees, and they make their way downstairs.

 

 

Despite Clara’s predict that there won’t be a lot of people in the mall, the Disney store is extremely crowed. And somewhere along the line, Steve and Danny get separated. But since this isn’t an active crime scene or a dangerous situation – except if you categorize screaming and running children as dangerous – Danny decides to just wander around a bit and take a look by himself. If Steve wants to find him, his super ninja senses will lead him to Danny.

Feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the Disney themed dresses, cups, toys and games, Danny doesn’t even know where to look first. He glances at a stuffed Stitch and smirks. Somehow, he reminds him of Steve. Walking further into the store, he sees a shelf with movie themed dolls he’s never seen before. Because how many Disney princesses can there _possibly_ be? He shakes his head.

In the end, it’s Danny who happens to bump into Steve again. In a quieter corner of the store, his boyfriend is absorbed in looking at teeny tiny onesies. Danny watches him reach out to run his fingers over the fabric of one of the baby bodysuits, as if it’s the most precious thing in the world. With a smile, Danny walks over to him and wraps his arms around him. His hands automatically find the little bump Steve manages to hide perfectly well underneath his thick sweater. “Cute, aren’t they?” Danny says, peeking around his taller partner to look at the adorable clothes.

“Yeah. But how do you know which size to pick?” Steve asks, sounding a little lost.

Danny chuckles. “You don’t. Most of the time, you just take a guess. They grow so fast. On one day, they can fit perfectly into a certain size, and the next morning it’s too tight and they look like Hulk when he transforms and rips his clothes to shreds. Babies are unpredictable.” Steve makes a humming noise under his breath.

“Ma is really excited about getting another grandchild, you know. I can see it in her eyes. And pa will be over the moon as well. He might not show it as openly as ma, but he adores and loves every single one of his grandkids,” Danny says, laughing.

That’s when Steve turns in his arms and looks at him with an unreadable expression. “What about you?”

The odd question takes Danny aback, and he’s not sure he follows. “What do you mean?”

Steve sighs and briefly looks away. He plants both of his hands on his hips, an obvious sign that he’s stressed. “I mean,” he begins, looking back at Danny. “When we were at Home Depot the other day, you said you were happy that Grace and Charlie aren’t toddlers anymore, because toddlers and babies are exhausting.”

In this moment, Danny could slap himself for making such a careless comment. But, on the other hand, how on Earth should he have known that Steve’s pregnant? He rubs a hand down his face. The uncertainty on Steve’s face tears at his heart. The fact that his boyfriend even has the tiniest bit of doubt that he’s not happy about the baby, makes him want to kiss and punch him at the same time. He takes Steve’s face into his hands, which forces their eyes to meet. “Do not _ever_ doubt for even _one second_ that I do not want this baby, okay? I love you, and I love our baby. And what I said to Moby? It’s true. Of course kids are exhausting and sometimes they drive you absolutely mad, but let me tell you; being a parent is the most rewarding and beautiful thing in the world. And I can’t wait to share this special experience with you.”

Tears well up in Steve’s eyes, and he quickly wipes them away. He curses about hormones under his breath, before he manages to get a grip on his emotions. Smiling, Danny pulls him down and presses their lips together.

When they part again, Danny turns them both around so they’re facing the baby clothes again. “So, which one are we gonna pick?”

Twenty minutes later, they exit the store with a plastic bag. Inside are some action figures for Charlie, a Moana doll for Emily and two onesies; one in a Mickey Mouse, the other one in a Minnie Mouse design.

 

 

When the entire family meets up again a couple of hours later, Danny is not surprised to see Grace and Eric return with a bunch of stuffed plastic and paper bags. Forever 21, H&M, Abercrombie & Fitch… The list seems endless. Danny just rolls his eyes and reminds his daughter that she will have to haul all of this to England tomorrow and then back to Hawaii. She just shrugs, obviously still thrilled about her new stuff.

Equally as thrilled is Charlie, who cheerfully tells Danny and Steve about every single second he got to spend on Santa’s lap. Both, Steve and Danny, listen attentively to the boy, as they’re walking back to the parked cars.

 

 

When they return to the house, Clara immediately disappears in the kitchen. She banishes everyone else from the room, because she prefers to do the Christmas food preparations by herself. Eddie goes outside again to shovel the path that leads to the front door, while Charlie plops down in front of the TV to watch a Christmas movie. Grace goes into the room she shares with her brother to call Will.

When they put away their jackets, Danny catches his boyfriend’s yawn. “Tired?” He asks, rubbing a hand up and down Steve’s back.

Steve smiles sheepishly. “A little,” he admits, and then glances at his wristwatch. “Christ, it’s only two PM…”

“Don’t worry about it, babe. Being tired is completely normal during pregnancy. Go upstairs and take a nap. Ma will understand, and if anyone else asks, I’ll tell them you’ve got a headache,” Danny says, as he nudges him toward the stairs.

Steve gives in surprisingly easily. “Wake me in an hour?” He asks, as he sets his right foot onto the first step.

“You got it,” Danny agrees with a smile. “Go. Lay down.” With a thankful smile, Steve climbs up the rest of the stairs.

Danny watches his boyfriend’s retreating form with a feeling of pure love. He’s had some bad luck with love in the past, but Steve makes him happy – Happier than anyone else before him. And he couldn’t be more thrilled to have his boyfriend with him for Christmas in Jersey this year.

Unconsciously, Danny reaches into his pocket and wraps his fingers around the small, square box he’s been carrying around with him for the last couple of weeks.


	8. Will You Marry Me?

Danny startles awake when the door to their bedroom flings open unexpectedly, and the overhead light twitches on, interrupting his peaceful sleep. His eyes pop open, just in time to see a blond blur lunge onto the bed. “It’s Christmas!” Charlie yells, jumping up and down excitedly on the mattress. Still half-asleep, Danny squints at his son.

Steve, who’s been sleeping with his back to Danny again, rolls over and gets one of Charlie’s knees in the groin in the process. Danny winces in sympathy. To prevent the excited six-year-old from accidentally hurting Steve’s belly or his own healing wound, he tugs him down to sit in between them. “Calm down, buddy,” he chuckles, ruffling Charlie’s hair.

“Santa came, Danno! He came last night and brought lots of presents!” Charlie squeals happily, hands flying around. “You need to get up!”

Laughing, Danny doesn’t even attempt to calm down his son. It would be to no avail, anyway. Instead, he winks at Steve, who’s just grinning. Because, unbeknown to the boy, it obviously wasn’t Santa who had brought the presents. All the adults had wrapped the gifts yesterday for hours, and, eventually, put them under the tree. Even Grace had lent a hand.

Steve pokes Charlie in the ribs, making him giggle. “We better get up then and see what Santa’s gotten us.”

The smile that lights up Charlie’s face is brighter than every Christmas tree could ever be. “Yes, Uncle Steve!” He claps his hands and hastily climbs out of their queen-sized bed again. “I’ll go wake up grandma und grandpa!” With that, he’s out the door.

Chuckling at his son’s whirlwind nature, Danny rolls onto his side and raises his eyebrows at Steve. “You _do_ know it’s not even seven yet, right?”

Steve shrugs. “So?” He throws back the blanket and sits up. Danny sees goose bumps break out all over his boyfriend’s arms, and he wonders if Steve will ever get used to the cold.

“Are you gonna lay in bed all day?” Steve teases from where he’s standing by the foot of the bed. “If you get up, we might be able to take a shower before breakfast.” He grins cheekily and adds, “ _Together_.”

That’s all the motivation Danny needs. He sits up so fast, he almost gets a head rush. Steve chuckles, and pushes his way in between Danny’s legs. “Easy, tiger,” he grins, hands trailing down the side of his boyfriend’s neck.

Danny looks up at him. “You make my head spin. In the best way possible.”

Steve bursts out laughing, and it’s the most wonderful sound to Danny’s ears. He can’t help but blush a bit. Was it a corny thing to say? Probably. Does he care? Not in the slightest. He loves Steve, and his not afraid to say it.

“You’re such a sap,” Steve snorts.

Hooking an arm around his boyfriend’s waist, Danny pulls him closer. With the other hand, he pushes the grey shirt Steve’s been wearing for the night up, exposing his belly. “So what?” He asks, while brushing his lips lightly over his partner’s warm skin. Steve shivers, and Danny grins to himself.

“Danny…” Steve breathes, shuddering again.

“Let’s go shower,” Danny says. He presses a kiss to Steve’s small baby bump, before he gets to his feet.

 

 

The smell that wafts up the stairs makes Steve’s stomach rumble. He’s already been promised a delicious and extraordinary Christmas breakfast, and he’s sure that Clara Williams won’t disappoint. The woman is the master of preparing the most delightful food on the planet.

“Don’t overeat. This is only breakfast. Bridget will be here for a late lunch, and then there’s going to be dinner,” Danny warns quietly, as they make their way to the dining room. Most of the time, the family eats in the kitchen. But for special occasions – such as Christmas – the fancy dining table is used.

Steve snorts. “Jesus Christ, Danny. How are you not three hundred pounds?”

Danny elbows him in the ribs. “Quiet, you!” He says, because everyone’s already sitting at the table. Even Eric, who’s not usually an early riser, is already sitting in a chair, drooling over the food.

The second they step into the dining room, Steve’s not sure if he will be able to control himself. While _he_ might be a fan of a healthy and balanced diet, his pea-sizes unborn baby certainly _isn’t_. His stomach rumbles again and his mouth is watering. Although he’s never been a big fan of cinnamon, all he can think about is grabbing one of the still steaming cinnamon buns that are nicely piled onto a colorful platter. “After this Christmas, I think _I_ will be three hundred pounds,” he mutters under his breath. Danny laughs, and guides him over to a free chair next to Grace. Danny then walks over to his mother and kisses her cheek. “Merry Christmas, ma. The food smells divine.”

Clara pats her son’s cheek. “Merry Christmas, sweetheart.” She picks up a cup of coffee and hands it to him. Then she picks up a second mug, this one filled with steaming tea though, and sets it down in front of Steve. “And Merry Christmas to you, too, Steve. We’re all happy to have you here this year.” She leans down to give him a peck on the cheek as well.

“Thank you, Clara. And thanks for having me,” he says, looking at her, and then at Eddie, who’s already munching on a piece of toast.

When Steve thinks about what he should eat first, he notices that all the foods he should avoid eating during his pregnancy, are not even within reach. He looks at his boyfriend’s mother, who winks at him. Her thoughtfulness warms his heart.

“When can we open presents?” Charlie asks a few minutes later. He’s already on his second chocolate chip pancake, and he’s wearing half of it on his face. Melted chocolate is covering his mouth, and a larger chunk is even stuck in his right eyebrow. Steve bites back a laugh, while polishing off his cinnamon roll.

“Not yet,” Danny says. “Not until Auntie Bridget is here with Sophie and Emily.”

There’s a pout on Charlie’s face, but it disappears as soon as he takes another bite of his pancake. And people say food doesn’t make happy…

 

 

After breakfast, Steve and Danny curl up in front of the fireplace, while the kids help Eric do the dishes. Steve glances to the side at Clara and Eddie, who look just as in love as a new couple. It’s hard to believe they almost got a divorce a couple of years ago.

When the kids join them in the living room, Clara digs out a bunch of board games. It doesn’t come as a surprise to Steve, but exactly like on the ice, the Williams family is also a very competitive bunch when it comes to card and board games. He smirks, because he fits right in with them.

Two rounds of Monopoli and countless games of UNO later, Bridget and her husband arrive with their two kids. The kids are excited, because they’re finally allowed to unwrap their presents. In just ten short minutes, the neat and tidy living room is transformed into a battlefield. Ripped wrapping paper, crooked bows and glitter litter the floor. The joyful look on everyone’s face is worth it, though.

Grace thanks them for the new headphones and phone case she’s wanted, and Charlie is overjoyed because Santa got him that LEGO police station he’s wanted. Clara and Eddie thank them for the voucher to their favorite fancy Italian restaurant, and Bridget and Ted are happy about getting to see the Musical Lion King with their two daughters.

While more gifts are exchanged, Steve turns to Danny. “I had a different surprised planed for you, but you already know about it,” he chuckles, and looks down at his belly. “But I got you another little something.” He holds a simple, rectangular box out to Danny. “Merry Christmas.”

Steve knows that he could give Danny a lumpy rock, and he’d be happy about it, but he wanted to give him something special as well. He watches his partner unwrap the simple black wrapping paper. Carefully, Danny reaches inside the box and pulls out the black leather wristband. He runs his fingers over the smooth material and looks at the silver buckle. “Babe, it’s beautiful.”

“Turn it over.”

Doing as he’s told, Danny turns it. He smiles when he sees their engraved names on the inside of the buckle. When he looks up, there are tears in his eyes. “I love it.” Leaning forward, he kisses Steve. “I have something for you as well,” he says when he pulls back. “It’s a surprise, though. For this afternoon.”

Curiosity stirs in Steve’s gut, because he’s not the most patient person. “I can’t wait,” he replies, and the two share another kiss.

 

 

A few hours later, after lunch, Steve understands why Danny had warned him about not eating too much – Because he’s pretty sure he’s not going to be able to move anytime soon. In fact, he’s on the verge of slipping into a food coma. He watches the kids entertain themselves with their new toys and other things, and tries not to fall asleep at the table.

“Babe, are you ready to go? The surprise is waiting.”

His boyfriend’s voice startles Steve, and he looks up to where Danny is standing, gloves, scarfs and hats already in his hands. The surprise. _Right_ …

Pushing his chair back, Steve gets to his feet. “I’m ready,” he says. Danny takes his hand, and leads him to the front door where they put on their heavy winter coats and boots. They wave goodbye to everyone and step out into the freezing air. Steve hopes the crispy air will wake him up a bit.

There’s a cab waiting for them, and Danny ushers him inside. The driver’s obviously already been briefed, because he doesn’t ask for directions. Danny grabs his hand and squeezes. The smile on his face is one of excitement and maybe even some nervousness. Steve is really curious to see what his boyfriend has planned for them.

Steve’s surprised when they arrive at the same farm again, where they had bought their Christmas tree. This time, though, there aren’t any other people around. He frowns.

Danny quickly pays the cabby and then gets out of the car. Steve does the same on the other side, looking around. Are they going to learn how to milk a cow or something? “C’mon,” Danny says, pulling him toward a barn.

The suspicion that they’re going to have a lesson in milking a cow is thankfully not correct, because when they round a corner, there’s a majestic sled awaiting them. Two beautiful and strong horses are ready to pull it. The black one huff out a loud breath and shakes its shiny mane. “Surprise!” Danny says, pulling over to the sled.

A man in a brown coat and a wool hat steps out of the barn and smiles at them. He looks vaguely familiar, and Steve suspects that he was around when they were picking out their Christmas tree. “Welcome back to our farm! Are you ready for a romantic ride into the woods?”

“We are!” Danny agrees immediately. Then he turns to Steve. “You always say how grey and overwhelming you find New Jersey. So I thought I’d show you a slightly different side of my beautiful home state.”

Steve smiles. “I’m intrigued.”

They climb into the sled, and wrap the soft blankets around their shoulders.

 

 

The ride is beautiful, and Steve has to admit that there’s way more to New Jersey than just tall buildings, smog and concrete. In fact, the moment they enter the forest, he feels like he’s in a different world. He feels Danny’s eyes on him and turns his head to look at his boyfriend, who’s smiling. “Do you like it?”

Steve grins. “I _love_ it,” he answers. “It’s really romantic.” He adores the Williams family, but by spending day and night with them, their privacy suffers quite a bit. That’s why he enjoys every second he gets to spend with Danny alone.

That is until his stomach decides that its fed up with the constant jerking motion of the sled. When they started, the rocking and swaying hadn’t bothered him one bit. But now, as if someone’s flipped a switch, his stomach is churning and he’s starting to sweat despite the cold. He wants to tell Danny, but one look at his partner’s joyful expression makes him bite his tongue. Danny has planned this romantic surprise for them, and he’s _not_ going to ruin it. He’ll just breathe through the nausea and tough it out. No big deal.

Ten minutes later – Steve’s pretty sure he’s as white as the snow around them – the sled comes to a stop. It’s already getting dark, and they’re not back at the farm yet. However, Steve appreciates the break.

“Come on, babe. I gotta show you something,” Danny says, as he throws the warm blanket off and stands up to climb out of the sled. Steve follows him on shaky legs, still not one hundred percent sure his body is going to allow breakfast and lunch to stay where they currently are.

The snow crunches under their feet, and Danny grabs Steve’s hand to lead him down a narrow path. Due to the dense bushes and trees, it keeps getting darker. Steve is just about to pull out his phone and turn on the flashlight, when he sees flickers of light further down the path. “Where are we going?” He asks, confused.

“You’ll see in a minute,” Danny replies, cryptically.

Steve’s pretty sure he’s stumbled right into some Christmas-Winter-Wonderland-Fairytale-World, because the candles and torches that light the way look stunning.

When they reach the end of the path, the dense forest parts, offering them the spectacular view of a gorgeous, partly frozen lake. The candles that led the way are forming a large heart, which they are now standing in the middle of. Steve’s jaw drops. “Danny… What is this?” He looks around, stunned by the scenery. This is definitely _not_ what he expected when he thought about spending Christmas in New Jersey. He looks out onto the lake, drinking in the beauty of the sight.

There’s no answer from Danny, but Steve knows he’s still behind him, so he turns to face his partner again. His eyes widen when he lays eyes on his boyfriend, who’s kneeling on the snow-covered ground with an open ring box in his hand. Steve’s mouth just opens and closes without making a sound. Danny smiles. “Babe, I’ve brought you hear today because this is a special place for my family. This is the exact same spot in which my parents got engaged over forty years ago. When I was a teenager, pa told me that if I ever find someone I love wholeheartedly, I should bring him or her here. And from the moment we almost shot each other in your father’s garage, I’ve loved you. With all my heart. That’s why I want to ask you; will you marry me?”

Steve’s speechless. Utterly and completely speechless.

Danny shifts, biting his lip. “Babe?”

Steve’s pulled out of his surprised daze. Pure love – hot and alive – spreads through his body, and he can’t help but laugh. “Yes. _Yes_! Of course I’ll marry you!” He pulls Danny up and into his arms. The box with the ring tumbles out of Danny’s fingers, but neither of them cares. Their lips crash together, and everything around them dissolves into nothingness. This is _their moment_.

Unfortunately, the moment doesn’t last long. Because Steve’s body choses this moment to remind him that, a) He’s pregnant. And, b) Morning sickness is _not_ just an issue in the morning. Breaking free from Danny’s embrace, he stumbles a few feet away to the nearest tree line and doubles over. Braced against a thick tree trunk, he throws up.

He’s coughing and sputtering when Danny’s warm hand lands on his back, moving in a slow circle. “It’s okay. Just get it all out.”

“Sorry ‘bout that,” he mutters when he’s done, and wipes the back of his hand over his mouth. He straightens up. “I think I just killed the mood.”

Danny chuckles. “You didn’t kill anything,” he says, but then tilts his head in thought. “Although, puking isn’t quite the reaction I was hoping for after going down on one knee…”

Rolling his eyes with a snort, Steve lightly punches him in the shoulder. “Shut up.”

Laughing, Danny wraps his arm around Steve’s waist. “I’m just joking. C’mon. I have alcohol-free sparkling wine. We need to celebrate.”

And with that, Steve follows his boyfriend back to the sled. No, not his boyfriend. His _fiancée_.


	9. The Calm Before the Storm

Steve and Danny’s engagement is everyone’s Christmas highlight. Hugs, kisses and congratulations are exchanged when they return back to the house, and Clara manages to whip up a delicious chocolate cake for everyone to enjoy. Smiling, Danny watches Steve dig in, the simple silver engagement ring sparkling in the light of the Christmas tree.

A few hours later, Danny notices Charlie rubbing his eyes. It’s getting late, and his kids have a long trip to London ahead of them in the morning. He looks over to Grace, who’s also looking more tired than she’s probably ready to admit to anyone. He bites back a grin and gets up from the table. He’ll give Grace another half an hour, before he sends her to bed as well.

“I think it’s time for bed,” he tells his son. “We have to get up really early tomorrow because we gotta go to the airport where you meet your mother.” Charlie looks ready to protest, but Danny shushes him with a stern look. “I’ll make you a deal. You go brush your teeth, get into your pajamas and then I’ll read you a book, okay?”

Charlie blinks at him, then his drowsy eyes wander over to Steve, who’s engaged in a conversation with Bridget. “Can Uncle Steve tuck me in?”

At the mention of his name, Steve’s head turns. He looks at Charlie. It doesn’t seem like he’s heard what exactly the little boy had said, but the simple fact that when Charlie says his name, all his attention is on him, is enough to make Danny’s heart swell.

“Charlie would like for you to tuck him in,” Danny repeats his son’s question.

There’s not hesitation, no pause. Steve gets up right away, proud smile firmly in place on his face. “Of course,” he says, and holds his hand out to Charlie. “Let’s go get ready for bed, buddy.”

Danny watches them walk down the hallway, Charlie’s small, fragile hand in Steve’s large, protective one.

 

 

Steve runs his hand through Charlie’s blond hair. The kid’s eyes are drooping after the book they’ve read together, and he’s probably going to nod off any second now. Keeping up the soothing touches, Steve watches Charlie fall asleep. He’s just about to quietly slip out of the room, when Charlie mumbles, “Are you really going to marry Danno?”

Steve stills, surprised that Charlie’s still awake. “I am,” he confirms softly. “Are you okay with that?”

Charlie yawns, not opening his eyes, but the bobbing of his head is hard to miss. “Yes. Because you make Danno really happy.”

Chuckling, Steve bends down so he’s closer to Charlie’s ear. “Can I tell you a secret?” The boy nods again. “Danno makes me really happy too. And so do you and Gracie.”

A soft smile tugs at Charlie’s lips. “I love you, Uncle Steve.”

Steve gently kisses Charlie’s forehead. “I love you too,” he murmurs.

Something brushes against his stomach, and Steve looks down to see the fingers of Charlie’s right hand picking at the material of his sweater. The next words out of the boy’s mouth are soft and murmured, but Steve freezes when he hears them. “I love you, baby…” Charlie says, before his hand falls away and he’s sound asleep.

Frozen on the spot, Steve stares down at Danny’s son, eyes wide and mouth hanging open. He must have misheard it. Reminding himself to breathe, he finally slides off the bed and gets to his feet. His mind is whirling. Putting a hand on his belly, he blinks in confusion. Does Charlie _know_? That’s not possible, is it…?

A noise behind his back makes Steve turn. Danny is leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest. “He asleep?” He whispers, chin jerking toward the bed. Steve can only nod his head. Danny smiles and motions for him to come out of the room. As soon as Steve steps into the dimly light hallway, Danny grabs his arm with a frown. “Everything okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Steve licks his lips. “Charlie knows.”

The confusion on his partner’s face seems to double. “Charlie knows what?”

“That I’m pregnant. He touched my stomach and said he loves the baby.”

Steve is expecting his fiancée to laugh at him, but all Danny does is smile knowingly. “It’s said that young kids have something like a sixth sense for things like that. When Bridget was pregnant with Sophie, Grace used to snuggle up to her all the time. She even kissed her belly. And, at the time, not even Bridget herself knew about her pregnancy.”

“Seriously?” Steve asks.

“Yeah, seriously,” Danny confirms.

Steve rubs his neck. “Huh.”

Chuckling, Danny reaches out and squeezes Steve’s side. “Can we go to bed now? I’m exhausted.”

 

 

Their alarm goes off early the next morning. Danny attempts to roll over to shut it off, but Steve’s muscular arm traps him firmly in place. With some wiggling and grunting, he manages to extract himself from his fiancées octopus-like hold, without actually waking him. This pregnancy doesn’t only make Steve more emotional, it has also turned him into a deeper sleeper.

Quietly slipping out of bed, Danny takes a shower and dresses. When he comes back out of the bathroom, Steve’s still sleeping in the exact same position. Chuckling to himself, Danny kneels on the bed and begins to rub his partner’s chest. Usually, Steve sleeps shirtless, but because it’s much cooler in New Jersey, he’s put on a shirt.

The gentle touches have the desired effect, and Steve’s blue eyes flutter open. He blinks a few times, before his face splits into a lazy smile. “Morning,” he says, voice sounding hoarse with sleepiness.

“Good morning, babe,” Danny replies, bending down to kiss him. “We gotta leave for the airport in about an hour.”

Steve nods, but doesn’t move to actually get up. Instead, he wraps both arms around Danny and pulls him down on top of him. Struggling against the tight grip, Danny’s unsuccessful to free himself. He huffs when a strand of hair flops in his face.

“Steve, stop it,” he protests. “I’m going to squash our baby.” Steve raises his eyebrows in a _yeah, right_ kind of way, and proceeds to hold onto Danny.

Eventually, Danny gives in. He shifts them both around a bit, until they’re lying next to, instead of on top of each other. They cuddle for a bit, until Danny glances at the clock on the bedside table and realizes that they really need to hurry up now. He pokes Steve in the side. “Babe, get up. We’ll be late.” This time – thankfully! – Steve is more willing to get out of bed.

Jogging down the stairs, Danny’s relieved to find both his kids dressed and already eating breakfast. His mother smiles at him. “Good morning, sweetheart. I hope you don’t mind, but I already got the kids dressed and helped them pack their suitcases.”

It’s moments like this in which Danny appreciates his mother the most. She’s such a thoughtful person. “Thank you, ma,” he says, and sits down next to Grace. He grabs a piece of warm toast and puts a layer of butter on top of it. Steve joins them a while later, looking freshly shaved and ready to go.

 

 

Saying goodbye to their grandchildren is hard for Clara and Eddie, because they don’t get to see Grace and Charlie that often. In the end, Clara even wants to ride to the airport with them. But the room inside the car is already more than tight with four people and two suitcases. That’s why she stays behind, waving goodbye from the porch of the house, while Steve and Danny drive the kids to Newark Liberty Airport.

When they arrive, Rachel is already waiting for them. She hugs both her children, before exchanging a couple of words with Danny. Meanwhile, Steve unloads the two suitcases, which earns him a glare from his fiancée. He’s not supposed to lift anything heavy, and he knows it.

Saying goodbye to Grace and Charlie makes Steve strangely emotional again, and he curses his untamed emotions for the hundredth time. He really needs to get a grip on that.

On their way back home, they’re stuck in traffic. Steve doesn’t know where all of the cars suddenly come from, but it’s going to take them at least twice the time to get back to the house. Not that he minds. Hawaii is one of the states with the worst traffic in the US, so he’s used to it.

 

 

They spend the rest of the day helping Clara clean up the house. Tiny pieces of wrapping paper are everywhere, and there’s glitter sticking to every single piece of furniture in the living room. While Steve vacuums the wooden floor, the carpets and even the sofa and armchairs, Danny helps his mother in the kitchen with the dishes. It’s an old house, and the dishwasher is tiny. So there are still enough items that need to be washed by hand. Meanwhile, Eddie cleans out the fireplace.

In the evening, when everyone’s tired from cleaning up, Eddie suggests that they go out for dinner. That way, Clara doesn’t need to cook, and no one needs to do the dishes. Everyone’s on board with that idea right away.

They decide to visit the Williams family’s favorite Italian restaurant just down the street. The owner of the place is an old family friend, and the food is almost as good as in Bella Italia. Danny knows that Steve is going to love it. And this might even give them some inspiration for their own work-in-progress restaurant in Hawaii.

When they arrive, Alfonso gives them his best table right away, and starts bringing out food without being ordered to. While eating a slice of homemade lasagna, Danny watches Steve try all the different foods; spaghetti with meatballs, pizza, gnocchi, caprese salad… There’s nothing left to be desired.

“My god, Danny. We’ve **got** to put this on our menu as well,” Steve says, after swallowing a mouthful of gnocchi with pesto. There’s a speckle of sauce in the corner of his mouth, and Danny wants to lick it off – But they’re in public. Maybe later…

When dessert is served, everyone’s had more than enough food, but it’s just too good to not try. As before, Steve finds a bunch of things he insists on having at _Steve’s_ as well. Danny knows better than to argue with a man who’s just tasted the best Tiramisu in the world.

While Steve is limited to the delicious food and water, Danny and his parents also enjoy a bottle of the famous house wine. The taste is like an explosion of flavors in Danny’s mouth, and he has to bite his tongue to keep in a groan of appreciation, because the wine is _divine_! Eddie wants to hand over a glass of it to Steve as well, but he tells him that he’ll be the designated driver for tonight. Eddie just shrugs, and fills Danny’s glass back up again.

After his hangover a few days ago, the last thing Danny wants to do is to be drunk again. But the wine leaves him pleasantly buzzed, which is totally okay with him. And his fiancée doesn’t seem to mind either.

 

 

It’s a couple of minutes past ten at night when they pull up in front of the house again. It’s snowing, and an icy wind is making the leafless branches of the trees sway. It’s bitter cold, and Danny hurries up the steps toward the house with his jacket pulled tight around his body. His parents have already gone into the warmth of the house, and he’s longing to warm himself up as well.

He’s already in the hallway when he notices that Steve is lingering outside. He sticks his head back out. “What are you doing?” He asks.

“I’ll be right in,” Steve replies, which isn’t good enough for an answer.

Grumbling under his breath, Danny steps outside again too, and pulls the door closed behind his back so the warmth can’t escape the house. He wraps his arms around himself, trying not to shiver. “Steven, it’s at least 14 degrees out here! What the hell are you doing?”

The light on the porch is on, so Danny sees the tightening of his partner’s jaw. “I need some fresh air. Go inside. You don’t need to stay.”

Danny has a pretty good guess about what’s going on. And the way Steve is breathing in through his nose and out through his mouth is only additional confirmation. “I’m not gonna leave you alone out here when you’re about to puke.”

“I’m not going to puke,” Steve snaps back. “I said I just need some air.”

Danny’s cold and tired and maybe a little bit tipsy, so he doesn’t have the patience to deal with his fiancée’s stubbornness. “Why can’t you just admit that you’re nauseous? It’s not big deal.”

Steve doesn’t verbally respond, but he purses his lips.

“You’re so stubborn sometimes…” Danny grunts. “I’ll be upstairs.”

 

 

Danny’s already in bed when he hears Steve open and close the front door. He was on the verge of going downstairs to drag Steve inside, when he finally enters the house. “Feeling better?” Danny asks when his partner comes into their bedroom.

“I’m fine,” Steve replies, and disappears in the bathroom.

Blowing out a breath, Danny runs a hand through his hair. What’s going on? Before tonight, Steve was very open and honest about how he’s feeling. But now, he seems uncommunicative and distant. Deciding to blame the hormones for it, Danny closes his eyes and tries to sleep. With all the delicious food and the wine in his belly, it only takes him a minute to nod off.

 

 

When Danny wakes up, it’s the middle of the night. He doesn’t know what woke him, so he tries to fall back asleep.

His eyes pop back open when he hears someone getting sick in the nearby bathroom. He doesn’t need to check Steve’s side of the bed to know that it’s empty. He hesitates a moment, because Steve seems to be in a mood. Maybe he wants to be left alone at the moment? Suffer through it by himself? At least that’s the vibe Danny got earlier.

But then Danny decides that he doesn’t _care_ if Steve wants to be all stoic and macho. When Steve’s sick, Danny’s there. Period.

Throwing back the covers, Danny gets out of bed and crosses the room to the bathroom. He knocks. “Steve?” There’s no answer, so Danny knocks again. “Steve, can I come in?” As before, Steve doesn’t reply. The only sound is strangled gagging. Danny reaches out and hopes that the door is unlocked. Thankfully, it is.

It takes a couple of seconds for Danny’s eyes to get used to the harsh light. Squinting, he looks at Steve, who’s leaning over the toilet bowl. He’s panting, and there are soft tremors running through his body.

“Steve?” Danny asks, as he slowly steps closer and lowers himself down next to his fiancée. The space is tight, and Danny’s chest pings when he bends. But when he catches sight of Steve’s colorless and sweaty face, his own discomfort is quickly forgotten. “Babe, what’s wrong?”

Steve looks up, glassy eyes meeting Danny’s. He’s breathless, almost as if he doesn’t get enough air. “Danny…” He rasps, before doubling over and vomiting again. His left hand is gripping the rim of the toilet bowl, turning his fingers white, while his other arm is wrapped around his stomach. The sound of the pained retching tears at Danny’s heart.

“It’s okay,” Danny soothes, reaching out to run his hand down Steve’s back.

The second his hand makes contact with the sweat soaked material of Steve’s shirt, Danny realizes that something’s not right. Because Steve is burning up. Moving his other hand to his partner’s forehead, Danny winces. “You’re running one hell of a fever.”

Steve licks his dry lips and looks at Danny. “Something’s not right…” He vocalizes Danny’s exact worries. “My abdomen… My abdomen feels weird,” he croaks, before he throws up again. Danny’s heart sinks when he sees the speckles of blood in the toilet bowl.

“Ma! Pa!” Danny yells as loudly as he can. His heart is racing, as he pulls Steve closer and begins to murmurs words of comfort in his shaky fiancée’s ear.


	10. Stomach Bug

Danny’s heart is still pounding wildly below his ribcage, while he restlessly paces the waiting room of Saint Michael's Medical Center in Newark. His pajama bottoms are dragging across the floor, and his heavy winter boots are squeaking on the clean mint green linoleum. Although he’s still wearing his thick winter coat, he’s shaking.

“Why don’t you sit down, Daniel?” His mother pipes up from where she is sitting next to her husband in one of the white plastic chairs. She doesn’t usually call him Daniel – Only when things are serious.

Danny briefly looks up at her. Her normally perfectly styled hair is tousled, and she looks pale and drawn. And if Danny looks even half as on edge and scared as he feels, he knows that he mirrors his mother’s rough appearance. “I’m fine,” he grunts, and resumes his pacing, eyes firmly locked on the floor. His chest starts to tighten and he knuckles his sternum, trying to ignore the sudden burning of his healing wound.

Unexpectedly, someone blocks his path. His eyes snap up, anger suddenly rushing through him. He’s about to snap at the person who dares to get into his way, when he notices that it’s his father.

“You are not okay,” Eddie says, voice soft but firm. “And it’s understandable. You’re worried about Steve and the baby.”

A lump forms in the back of Danny’s throat, and he feels like he’s choking. Wordlessly, he allows his father to guide him to the unoccupied chair next to his mother. He lets his father push him down, suddenly sapped of energy. Like a puppet whose strings have been cut, he sinks into the chair and collapses into himself. Head in his hands, he pushes the heels of his hands against his eyes, until he sees a sparkling firework.

Memories of an hour earlier assault him and he swallows thickly. Behind his closed lids, he sees Steve. Steve, who had looked so weak. So _sick_. Danny’s first instinct after yelling for his parents had been to call an ambulance, but his father had advised to just haul Steve downstairs and into their own car, to save time.

Steve was a shivering weight against his side, while Eddie sped toward the nearest hospital. Eric stayed behind. All the way, Danny muttered words of encouragement into his fiancés ear, hoping to offer some comfort. Steve had just sat there, eyes closed, arms wrapped around his middle. And the muttered, “I can’t lose the baby…” tore at Danny’s hammering heart.

As soon as they reached the hospital, a team of medical professionals appeared out of nowhere to help them get an unsteady Steve out of the car and onto a gurney. It all happened so fast that, before Danny had time to comprehend everything, his partner was already gone from his field of vision. His mother took his arm, and pulled him toward the waiting room. A nurse handed him a few forms to fill out, which Danny did with trembling fingers. Then he told his father about the baby with tears of desperation in his eyes.

Dropping his hands, Danny blinks until his bleary eyes focus on the wall clock across from where he’s sitting. It’s close to three o’clock in the morning, and it’s been way too long since they’ve seen a doctor or a nurse who’s able to give them information. He’s just about to push himself back to his feet, when a tall, middle-aged man in a white coat steps into the waiting room. Everyone’s eyes focus on the doctor.

“Daniel Williams?” The doctor asks, looking around.

Danny clambers to his feet, almost stumbling. “That’s me. How is he? How’s Steve?” He blurts out, staring at the doctor. He tries to read something on the man’s face, but his expression is blank.

“I’m Doctor Martin,” he introduces himself, holding out his hand. “I’m treating Commander McGarrett.”

Danny’s not surprised that the doctor is aware of Steve’s rank. As soon as he was brought in, a nurse had called Tripler Medical Center in Hawaii, requesting a copy of Steve’s medical files.

“Danny Williams. Steve is my fiancé,” Danny explains, as he shakes the doctor’s hand. “Can you tell me how he is?” He asks again, pushing for answers.

Doctor Martin smiles, causing a fraction of the tight knot in Danny’s gut to loosen. “He’s feeling better. He’s resting at the moment,” he replies. “He is asking about you.”

Looking over his shoulder, Danny glances at his parents. “Go. We’ll be here,” Eddie says, motioning to Danny to go with the doctor. Danny nods and follows Doctor Martin.

En route to his partner’s hospital room, the doctor explains to Danny the reason for Steve’s sickness, “It’s nothing serious. Despite the extreme symptoms Commander McGarrett was displaying, we can rule out a miscarriage or pregnancy related illness. The baby is fine, as will the Commander.”

A crushing weight fall off of Danny’s constricted chest, and he takes a deep breath. “What’s wrong with him then?”

Doctor Martin gestures for Danny to step into an elevator before continuing. “A stomach bug is currently affecting a lot of people, and Commander McGarrett has become one of its victims as well. But with some rest and a lot of fluids, he will be fine in a few days.”

Danny blinks. “Steve has _the flu_?” It sounds so banal, so _normal_. After expecting the worst, the diagnosis is so relieving, Danny’s not sure if he wants to laugh or burst into tears.

 

 

The light in Steve’s room is off, but the overhead light from the brightly lit hallway is enough for Danny to see his fiancé resting in the hospital bed. He’s no longer dressed in his sweats and shirt, but a blue hospital gown. Quietly, Danny approaches.

To his surprise, Steve’s eyes flutter open, despite the exhausted aura that surrounds him. “Hey,” Steve whispers, voice sounding a little raspy. But he’s smiling. It’s a tired smile, but it’s a _smile_.

“Hey,” Danny answers. He reaches for Steve’s hand, mindful of the IV that’s inserted in the back of his hand, and sits down on the mattress next to his partner’s hip. “How are you feeling?” He asks, squeezing Steve’s hand. The skin is no longer clammy and cold. Instead, it’s warm and familiar. Absentmindedly, Danny’s finger rubs over the silver engagement ring on his partner’s hand.

Steve sighs. “Better. They gave me an antiemetic and something for the cramps. I’m feeling more human now,” he says with a lopsided smile.

Rubbing Steve’s knuckles with his thumb, Danny smiles. “That’s real good, babe.”

“I’m just glad the baby’s okay,” Steve says, free hand going to his stomach.

“So am I,” Danny says, as he leans down to kiss Steve. After, Danny rests his forehead against his partner’s still too warm one. “How long are they going to keeping you?”

Heaving out a breath, Steve pulls a face. “At least until Thursday,” he replies, sounding annoyed. “I can’t stay here two more days, Danny. I’ll go crazy!”

Chuckling, Danny presses his hand against Steve’s chest, when the former SEAL attempts to sit up. “Whoa, stay. Not even two hours ago, you were running a fever of almost 104. You’re not going _anywhere_.” A sound like a whine comes out of Steve’s mouth, and Danny chuckles. “Babe, listen to me. A flu might not be as serious as what we expected, but you need a lot of rest now.”

“But I can rest _at home_. And you can spend more time with your family instead of hanging out at the hospital with me. Because I know you won’t leave me alone.”

“Oh. So _this_ is what this is about…” Danny sighs. “ _Steve_. Your health is more important. And think about our baby.” He knows the last sentence is a low blow, so Steve’s accusing glare is no surprise.

They stare at each other, neither backing down. Eventually though, exhaustion seems to get the better of Steve, because he breaks eye contact and huffs out a breath. “Fine.”

Danny claps his hands. “I knew you’d be reasonable. Now, you close your eyes and relax, while I go outside to talk to my parents. Then I’ll be back and take a nice long nap in that comfy looking chair over there.”

As if knowing that any kind of protest will fall on deaf ears, Steve nods. “Okay.”

Giving Steve one last kiss, Danny slides of the bed to head back to the waiting room. He’s going to send his parents’ home, and ask them to return around noon with some clothes for him. After, he’ll heads over to the chair. It doesn’t look particularly comfortable, but he needs sleep. And he’s not going to leave Steve alone. So, with the hazard of messing up his back and neck, he’ll get as comfortable as possible and close his weary eyes.

 

 

When Steve opens his eyes the next morning, it takes his brain a few moments to remember where he is. But then he recalls his bout of sickness in the middle of the night, and sighs. When planning their trip to New Jersey, a hospital stay hadn’t quite been what he imagined.

A rustling noise from his left catches Steve’s attention. Turning his head, he sees Danny, who’s awkwardly slumped in a padded chair. His head is titled back at an odd angle, and Steve winces in sympathy. It can’t be comfortable.

There’s a soft knock on the door, and Steve turns just in time to see a short nurse slipping into the room. “Good morning, Commander,” she says quietly, when she notices the still sleeping Danny. “How are you feeling?” She slips a blood pressure cuff around his upper arm.

“I’m great,” he replies, and watches her check all the equipment.

The nurse – Cassandra, as he sees on her nametag – snorts. “Let’s not exaggerate. You’re still running a fever and your blood pressure is a bit on the low side. But, if you’re up to it, I can get you something light for breakfast. Or lunch. It’s almost noon.”

Steve’s surprised about the already late time. He must have slept through all the other checkups. Taking stock of his body, he tries to figure out if he’s hungry, nauseous or still exhausted. In the end, he realizes that he’s a little bit of everything.

Cassandra seems to understand him, even though he hasn’t answered her. “How about some soup, apple sauce and toast? Light on the stomach,” she offers.

Steve is just about to decline, when a sleepy voice interrupts the murmured conversation, “He’ll take it. He needs to eat something.”

Huffing, Steve looks at his partner, who’s climbing to his feet with a groan. His back pops loudly, and everyone winces simultaneously.

“You should listen to your fiancé,” Cassandra points out with a wink.

Deciding that he’s outnumbered, Steve gives in. “Fine. I’ll take the soap and toast. But no applesauce.”

“Deal,” the nurse says. She moves to the foot of the bed and scribbles something into his chart. When she’s done, she looks up. “I’ll be back with your food in just a bit.”

Steve thanks her, not quite sure if his stomach is going to accept any food or not. But if it makes Danny happy, then he’ll try. He’s too tired to argue about it, anyway. And he _knows_ that Danny is going to argue with him about it if he refuses to eat anything.

The door falls shut behind Cassandra, leaving the two men alone again. “How are you doing today, babe?” Danny asks, sitting down on the mattress next to Steve again. “You’re looking better.”

Reaching out, Steve grabs his fiancé’s wrist and pulls him down. At first, Danny resists, but then he allows Steve to tug at him, until they’re almost lying on top of each other. “I’m fine, Danno. Don’t worry.”

In typical Danny fashion, his hands start flying around, almost hitting Steve in the nose. “You have a very weird definition of the word fine,” he says. “I had to practically _scrape_ you off the bathroom floor!”

Steve cringes. He still remembers the shaky feeling and the horrible nausea vividly. “Can we not talk about this?” He asks when the memory intensifies the queasiness in his belly. All he wants is to recover from this nasty stomach bug and get out of the hospital.

Danny glares at him, but then his gaze softens. “Fine…” He agrees, snuggling closer to Steve. “If you promise to take care of yourself, eat and get as much rest as possible.”

Chuckling, Steve pulls his fiancé closer. “I can do that.”

“Good,” Danny replies, tilting his head to kiss Steve.

 

 

Danny spends the rest of the day and the next morning with Steve, except for a short break he takes, in which he goes home to shower. Clara force-feeds him a delicious meal and forces him to take a quick nap in a real bed. Despite not wanting to, Danny falls asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow. But as soon as he wakes up, Eric drives him back to the hospital.

Steve appreciates the time Danny spends with him, because he knows he’d go crazy without his fiancé’s constant presence. On the other hand, he feels guilty, because Danny could spend all that time with his family, which he doesn’t get to see that often. So, when he gets discharged on 28th December, he’s excited to move back in with Clara and Eddie. That’s why he’s taken aback when Danny steers his father’s Honda right, when he’s sure that the house is the other way.

“You took a wrong turn,” Steve points out, double checking the street signs.

Danny glances at him, smirking mysteriously. “Nope, I didn’t.”

“But, Danny—“

“Would you relax? I know where I’m going,” Danny chuckles, as he checks the rear mirror before he switches lanes.

Steve decides to trust his partner, because after growing up in Jersey, he probably knows this city like the back of his hand. So, Steve shuts up, and just watches the scenery fly by. Only when they pull onto the highway does Steve dare to question Danny’s sense of direction again. “Danny, you’re going the _wrong way_.”

Danny rolls his eyes. “We’re not going back to the house,” Danny explains, jerking his thumb over his shoulder to the backseat. Steve turns, seeing their packed suitcases.

“Did something happen?” He asks, eyes wide.

Danny laughs. “No. But the doctor has ordered strict rest for you. And if there’s one thing my amazing family can’t offer, it’s a calm and quiet environment. That’s why I’m taking you to a nice hotel in the mountains. Romantic cabins with fireplaces and in-room-dining. You’ll love it.”

Blinking, Steve shakes his head. “But… your family—“

“—had this great idea,” Danny interrupts, briefly grinning at him. “Ma suggested it, and pa was all for it. Just shut up and enjoy the ride.”

Steve sputtered for a moment, at a loss of words. In the end, he just smiles. “Thanks, Danny.”

“You’re welcome,” Danny replies, grinning. He keeps one hand on the steering wheel, and puts his other on Steve’s barely-there baby bump. “We’re gonna have a great time.”


	11. Peace and Quiet

About two hours later, they pull up the driveway of the hotel. At first, there’s not much to see beside snow-covered pine trees and endless winter landscape, but when they turn a corner, the chalet-like hotel appears like a castle in a wintery fairytale. “Wow, this looks great,” Steve says in awe, as he takes in the beautiful wooden building. It looks like a luxurious cabin. It’s not overly large, it’s just the right size for a few romance-seeking couples.

“Stunning, isn’t it?” Danny agrees, as he slows the car down in front of the entrance. A dark red carpet is covering the ground, and Steve feels a bit like a celebrity when the hotel’s Valet opens his doors and greets him formally.

When they’re both out of the car, Steve leans closer to Danny. “How much did you _spend_ on this?” He mutters under his breath, as he watches a second employee unload their suitcases.

Danny just grins at him. “Don’t worry about that,” he replies casually, and Steve knows that he won’t get an answer out of his fiancé. That doesn’t mean that he can’t do some research online a bit later to figure out how much exactly Danny has spent on their trip.

Danny hands the Valet a tip and then follows the other man inside. Steve embraces the warmth of the lobby, only now realizing how freezing cold it is outside. He rubs his numb fingers and follows his partner to the reception area.

“Welcome to Château Romantique. Are you checking in?” The young girl behind the desk asks. Her brown eyes are sparkling and despite the grey weather, she has a nice tan. Steve returns her smile.

“Yes, we are checking in,” Danny confirms, already pulling out his credit card. “I’m Danny Williams.”

“Ah, Mister Williams. We’ve been expecting you and your fiancé,” she says, as she takes his credit card and checks it. Steve doesn’t know how exactly she knows that he’s Danny’s fiancé, but he doesn’t really care, either. Looking around, his eyes linger on the large fireplace in the corner. They have a nice seating area, set up with comfortable looking chairs and fuzzy blankets. An elderly couple is occupying on of the tables, both reading a book. Steve can absolutely picture himself and Danny doing this once they’re retired.

“Babe, are you coming?”

Turning, Steve notices that Danny and the receptionist are already heading toward the elevators. He quickly follows them and smiles at Danny when he grabs his hand and squeezes. So far, everything he’s seen looks very promising for a romantic trip. Although, Steve’s not sure how much time he and Danny will actually spend _outside_ of their room…

 

 

Danny watches his fiancé sleep. After unpacking most of their things, they decided to try out the private hot tub in their room. One side of the bathroom is made out completely of glass, which allows a stunning view into the forest. They’re on the 8th floor, so no one is able to see them.

After a while of just relaxing in each other’s arms and enjoying the gorgeous view, Steve decided to get out. Hot tubs aren’t the best place for a pregnant person to be for a longer period of time. Danny promised to follow him in a few minutes, but he somehow dozed off. By the time he made it out of the bathroom, Steve was already sprawled across the bed, with only a towel wrapped around his hips. Chuckling, Danny spread a fluffy blanket over him, puts on a pair of sweatpants and settled in a nearby chair to watch him.

Danny is sending a text message to Grace when Steve stirs on the bed. Smiling, Danny puts the phone down on the fancy table and gets up. He walks over and sits down on the bed next to his fiancé. “Have a nice nap?” He asks as he leans down to nuzzle Steve’s neck. He smells of soap and _Steve_ , and Danny hums appreciatively.

Steve blinks owlishly at him, as if he’s just woken up from hibernation. He stretches, causing the blanket to slip off his muscular body. Danny feels desire pulsate low in his belly.

Steve seems to notice Danny’s longing gaze and he smirks. His right hand sneaks up Danny’s leg and thigh, until he reaches the waistband of Danny’s sweats. He tugs at it. “Why are you dressed already?” He asks, voice still sleep leaden.

Heat races through Danny’s body and he bends down to capture Steve’s lips with his own. “They can come off real quick…” He mutters.

Grinning, Steve tugs him down further. “I like the sound of that…”

 

 

They end up lounging in their king-sized bed for most of the remaining day. It’s almost eight o’clock when Steve’s stomach rumbles loudly. Danny chuckles and looks down at Steve’s belly. “You hungry?”

Shifting, Steve turns in Danny’s arms and look at him. “I am. But I don’t want to get up. I’m too comfortable.”

“That’s exactly what room service is for,” Danny winks. He extracts himself from Steve and reaches over to snatch the menu from the bedside table. He hands the leather-bound menu over to Steve, who opens it and skims the available food eagerly. Danny grins when his fiancé almost drools all over the pages.

 

 

Half an hour later, they sit on the couch in their room and dig into the food. The steak Danny has ordered tastes divine and Steve’s gnocchi with tomato sauce smell just as good. For dessert, they share a large slice of red velvet cake. After just a few bites, Danny’s full and pushes the plate over to Steve, who devours the rest speedily. “Slow down, babe. You were sick just a few days ago,” Danny warns, as he wipes a piece of whip cream off Steve’s handsome face.

“This is really good,” Steve says, mouth full of cake.

“You’re gross.”

“What? It _is_ good!” Steve shrugs, completely missing the point. Danny just rolls his eyes good-humoredly and watches his partner eat the dessert. The pregnancy has certainly made Steve hungrier.

All the food is gone in no time. The sun has already set outside and they’re back in bed. Danny has lit up the fireplace in their room, making it even cozier and more romantic. Steve, who’s draped over Danny, is dozing.

“What do you wanna do tomorrow?” Danny asks as he traces the patterns of Steve’s tattoo on his upper arm. The colorful swirls seem to change color in the warm light of the fire.

He feels Steve shrug. “Don’t know. Stay in bed?”

Danny laughs. “Stay in bed? You, Mister Always Active want to stay in bed all day long?” He pokes his fiancé in the side. “Are you kidding?”

Sleepily, Steve lifts his head off Danny’s chest and grins. “What? It’s really nice.”

Danny has to agree. Cuddling in bed with Steve, who’s even clingier than usually, _is_ nice. On the other hand, he wants to show his boyfriend around a bit more. Because he doesn’t know when they’ll see snow the next time, especially now with a baby on the way.

Danny’s still pondering about what to do, when Steve suddenly stiffens in his arms. “What?” Danny asks, looking down.

“I don’t…” Steve swallows. “I’m not feeling so good…” He admits.

Danny is still processing the words when Steve lurches upright and scrambles off the bed. Almost tripping, he stumbles to the bathroom and slams the door close. Danny hurries after him.

“Babe?” He calls and knocks on the door. He hears the unmistakable sound of throwing up and winces. He should have known that eating so much wouldn’t end well. He should have intervened. Slowly, Danny reaches for the doorknob and turns it. He finds Steve hunched over the toilet bowl. “Oh, babe…” He sighs and crouches down next to him. Putting his hand on his fiancé’s heaving back, he rubs soothingly.

It takes a few minutes before the gagging stops and when Steve pushes away from the toilet, Danny quickly flushes it and closes the lid. “Sorry…” Steve apologizes as he brushes the back of his hand across his mouth.

“Don’t apologize for that,” Danny tells him with a compassionate smile. “Are you feeling better?”

Steve nods and slowly clambers back to his feet. “Yeah. It’s a shame though. The food was really good. The first time around, at least,” he adds with a grimace and palms his stomach.

“Stop thinking about it,” Danny chuckles. He pats Steve’s chest and goes over to the sink to wet one of the fancy eggshell-colored towels. After wringing most of the moister out, he hands it to Steve. “Wipe down your face. You want to brush your teeth as well?”

Steve licks his lips, no doubt bothered by the disgusting taste in his mouth. He pushes up to his feet. “Good idea,” he replies as he wipes down his sweaty face.

Meanwhile, Danny prepares his fiancé’s toothbrush with a generous amount of toothpaste. Steve accepts it with a grateful smile and starts brushing his teeth. Danny leans against the doorframe and watches him. His gaze wanders from Steve’s upper body down to his stomach, where Danny knows a tiny bump is hiding under the loose shirt.

“What are you looking at?” Steve asks with the toothbrush in his mouth. White foam is dripping down the left corner of his mouth and Danny wonders how on Earth the man can still look incredibly sexy, even like that.

Pushing off the doorframe, Danny strolls over and wraps his arms around Steve’s waist. He folds his hands right over his fiancé’s bellybutton. He can feel their growing baby. “You look fantastic,” he mutters into the back of Steve’s shirt.

Steve snorts and spits out the foam in his mouth. “Oh, yeah? Do you mean while I was puking or smearing toothpaste all over my face?” He turns around in Danny’s arms and looks down at him with raised eyebrows.

“You always look fantastic,” Danny replies and nuzzles his partner’s chest.

A laugh rumbles through Steve’s muscular chest. “Just wait until I gain fifty pounds. We’ll see if you still think I’m sexy then,” he jokes.

Danny rolls his eyes. “You’re not going to gain fifty pounds. _Especially_ not when you keep throwing up all the calories you eat.”

“Don’t count on it,” Steve replies and kisses the top of Danny’s head. Then he mutters, “My pants are already getting tighter.”

“We’ll go shopping when we’re back on Oahu and find you some nice pairs of maternity pants. I’m sure they have the cargo style as well. With many, many pockets.”

“Deal,” Steve laughs.

Pulling back from Steve’s warm embrace, Danny jerks his thumb over his shoulder. “How about we go back to bed now? It’s getting late and we still haven’t figured out what we’re going to do tomorrow. I saw a magazine over there with a ton of options. I’m sure we’ll find something.”

“Sounds good to me,” Steve agrees and follows Danny back to the bedroom. They crawl into bed again and flip through the various activities the hotel offers. Skiing is out. Not only because neither of them brought the needed attire, but also because there’s no way in hell Danny is going to let Steve go skiing. Not in his condition.

“How about sledging?” Steve suggest, pointing at a picture of a couple racing down a hill.

Danny bites his lip. “Are you sure about that? What if you fall of that thing?”

Steve rolls his eyes. “Danny. I’ve done this before. Nothing’s going to happen.”

Fine. Maybe Danny is being a bit overprotective. But after Steve’s bout of sickness just a few days ago, he’s super cautious about everything. He doesn’t want his fiancé to hurt or overexert himself.

“Come on, Danno. It’s going to be fun!”

 _“Famous last words,”_ Danny thinks, but eventually agrees. What could go wrong?


	12. A Bumpy Road

They sleep in the next morning. When he finally wakes up, Steve has to grin at how Danny is wrapped around him like a clingy octopus. Snow is falling outside, quiet and peaceful, and Steve wishes he could stay in his partner’s arms forever. Unfortunately, his full bladder forces him to move.

As quietly as possible, he untangles himself from his fiancé’s arms and slips out of bed. He’s not really surprised when Danny grunts and squints up at him.

“Where are you going?” Danny asks around a yawn.

“The bathroom,” Steve replies. “I’ll be right back.”

Danny seems to be happy with that answer, because he grunts in understanding and his eyes close again. Chuckling, Steve pads into the bathroom. He quickly takes care of business and proceeds to wash his hands in the fancy marble sink. The sink alone is probably worth more than his entire master bathroom at home.

He’s just about to head back to the bedroom when he catches sight of himself in the large mirror next to the chic rainforest shower. He tilts his head and looks at himself from top to bottom. During the night, he’s yanked off his shirt. He tends to get warm fast, _especially_ when Danny’s wrapped around him like a living, breathing blanket.

With his upper body now exposed, Steve can clearly see the outline of a real bump. Turning sideways, he looks at his stomach. Not long and he won’t be able to hide the pregnancy anymore. The baby seems to be growing at a rapid pace now. With a smile, Steve runs his flat palm over his belly.

A voice from behind startles him. “What are you doing, babe?”

Jerking, Steve turns. “Nothing.”

“Right,” Danny chuckles and saunters into the bathroom, hands in the pockets of his sleeping pants. He walks right into Steve’s personal space and stretches his neck for a kiss. Steve gladly accepts. “How about breakfast? They have a great buffet.”

As on cue, Steve’s stomach rumbles. Danny laughs and looks down. “Someone’s hungry,” he says and pokes Steve’s belly.

“The baby is _always_ hungry,” Steve laughs, looking down as well.

“How about we get dressed, eat something and then check at the front desk where we can’t rent those sleds? If you’re still up for that?” Danny suggests, hand stroking Steve’s belly.

Steve nods. “Sounds like a plan.”

 

 

Danny watches Steve eat a bowl of yogurt with fresh fruit and some granola. After yesterday’s _puking incident_ , Steve decided to take it a little bit easier with food. At least until he knows that his sensitive stomach can take it. Danny is glad to hear that, because he can’t deny that he feels a little bit helpless whenever his fiancé is battling morning sickness. He’d gladly trade places with Steve.

“Better eat you’re pancakes, Danno. Or I might steal them off your plate,” Steve interrupts Danny’s musing with a grin. Looking down, Danny realizes that he has barely touched his own breakfast and is just kind of staring at Steve, fork clutched uselessly in his right hand.

“I was just thinking,” Danny says, blushing.

Steve smiles. “About what?” he asks while shoving the last spoon of yogurt in his mouth.

“About how much fun we’re going to have today. The three of us.”

Steve gives Danny one of his most beautiful smiles, and Danny feels his insides melt. His partner is positively _glowing_ , and Danny thinks it’s the most beautiful thing on Earth. _Steve_ is the most beautiful thing on Earth.

 

 

An hour later, they’re sitting side by side on a chairlift that takes them up a steep hill. Steve has one arm wrapped around Danny, and the other one around their rented two-person sled. It’s way colder up here than it was down by their hotel, but he enjoys breathing in the crisp air. Despite the clouds that are gathering at the horizon, it has stopped snowing and the weather is beautifully sunny. The lady at the rental place promised them a beautiful day.

“There are two different routs we can take to get back to the valley; green and red. We’re obviously taking the green one, because it’s smoother and less steep,” Danny repeats what’s written in the brochure.

Normally, Steve would go for the more adventurous and dangerous route, but he’s pretty sure that Danny would punch him in the face if he’d as much as _breathe_ those words. And, to be honest, even he knows that going down a path that’s dangerous isn’t the best thing for him to do. That doesn’t mean he can’t have some fun, though…

“Yes, we are taking the green one,” Steve agrees and turns his head to kiss Danny’s cold cheek. “I’m in charge of steering, though.”

Danny pokes him in the side. “Not a chance! You’ll turn this nice, relaxing experience into a race!”

Unable to hide the amused smirk, Steve turns his head away and takes in the beautiful snowy landscape. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he mutters innocently.

“Right,” Danny sighs and pokes him again. “Promise me you won’t turn this into something out of _Fast and the Furious_.”

Steve chuckles and turns back to Danny. “They’re driving cars, not sleds, Danno.”

Danny’s gloved hand cuts through the air. “ _Not_ the point.”

“Fine. I promise,” Steve yields with a smirk when he sees the end of the chairlift coming up ahead. Shifting, he readies himself to get off. Danny scowls a bit when Steve curls his arm more tightly around their sled and Steve knows exactly why. They’ve had the exact same argument before getting on the chairlift. Steve isn’t supposed to lift anything heavy but, other than Danny, he doesn’t think the sled even counts as heavy. They argued a bit until Danny had just thrown up his hands and given in.

“Ready?” Steve asks, already pushing up the safety bar.

The lift rattles into the mountain station, shaking them both a bit. As soon as there’s solid ground underneath them, Steve pushes to his feet, grabs the sled and hurries out of the way of the chairlift. Danny is just a step ahead of him. Pushing past the crowd of skiers, cross-country skiers, snowshoe trekkers and other people with sleds, they head toward the large info board just a few feet away.

Steve studies it thoroughly. He’s already looked at it briefly down in the valley, but he prefers to memorize it a bit better. This is new terrain for him and he likes to know about all the different routs, paths and trails.

“Looks like we have to walk up there,” he says after a minute, pointing up a hill.

Danny groans. “Didn’t they lady say it’s just around the corner? Now we have to _walk_?”

Laughing, Steve nudges Danny toward the foot of the hill. It’s not a particularly steep hill. And it looks like it’s just about a five-minute walk to the start of the green route they’ve chosen. “Come on, Danny. It’ll be fun,” Steve encourages his fiancé.

“Yeah, yeah,” Danny grumbles, then holds out his hand. “Give me the sled. I’ll pull it up the hill.”

Steve tightens his hold around the rope in his hand. The sled is resting against his left leg. “I got it,” he replies.

Danny rolls his eyes again. “Steven, give it to me.”

With a huff, Steve decides that it’s not worth the energy. Wordlessly, he hands the rope over and watches Danny trudge ahead with the sled following two feet behind. Over the sound of the general noise, Steve can clearly hear his fiancé mutter something under his breath. He can’t make out any actual words, but he’s pretty positive that there is a lot of cursing. With a chuckle, he trails after Danny.

 

 

Steve is completely mesmerized by the stunning scenery. Not a lot of people are going in the same direction as they are, which means they have the path almost to themselves. It’s quiet and peaceful up here and Steve could definitely imagine returning to this place in the future. It makes the perfect vacation spot. When he reaches the top of the small hill, he closes his eyes and inhales deeply.

A wheezing sound from behind makes Steve’s eyes snap back open. He whirls around and is shocked to see Danny bent over with one hand on his chest and the other braced on his thigh.

“Danny!”

Steve hurries to his partner’s side. He puts one hand on Danny’s shoulder and maneuvers him over to the sled. Gently, he forces him to sit down. A dry cough rips out of Danny’s throat and he grunts in pain. Steve crouches down and squeezes his shoulder. “Easy, easy. Even breaths,” he coaches Danny through the episode. He should have known that walking up that hill wouldn’t do his fiancé’s still healing body any good. Damnit, he should have seen this coming!

“I’m okay…” Danny wheezes and gives Steve a weak smile. “It’s just… the air… dry…” he rasps, followed by another cough.

Unexplainable anger bubbles up in Steve and he shushes Danny harsher than intended. “Stop talking!”

Danny chuckles. “Bossy.”

“Danny. I mean it,” Steve warns. He pulls of his right glove and puts his hand on Danny’s pale cheek. “Tell me what you need.”

“Just… gimme a minute,” Danny replies and closes his eyes.

It’s the longest minute Steve has experienced in a long time but, eventually, Danny’s breathing evens out again and the color returns to his cheeks. Steve, whose hand has never left Danny’s cheek, leans in and gives him a tender kiss. “You okay?” he asks softly.

“Yeah,” Danny replies and opens his eyes.

Apparently, Steve doesn’t look convinced, because Danny smiles and takes Steve’s face in both his hands. He pulls him in for another kiss. “I’m good, babe. Stop with the aneurysm face.”

A weight falls off Steve’s chest when they return to their natural bantering. He smiles. “I don’t have an aneurysm face.”

“Sure do,” Danny answers. Then he holds his hand out. “Help me up.”

Reluctantly, Steve takes Danny’s hand in his and pulls him to his feet. Danny doesn’t argue when Steve takes the sled’s rope out of his hand. “We can go back down with the chairlift if you want,” he suggest, nodding toward the way they came from.

But Danny shakes his head. “I didn’t crawl up this hill and almost gave myself a heart attack just to turn back.”

Steve smiles and grabs Danny’s hand. “Okay, got it. Save your breath. We’re almost there,” he says and nods toward a sign that reads; _GREEN ROUTE – SLEDS ONLY_ in black, bold letters.

“Finally,” Danny mutters and stomps past Steve to the start of the path. “You coming?”

Glad that Danny seems to have recovered from the incidence, Steve follows him and puts the sled in position. He sits down and scoots to the back in order to make room for Danny, who positions himself between Steve’s long legs. They’re both the perfect height for this.

“Ready?” Steve asks as he wraps both arms around Danny’s waist.

“Ready,” Danny confirms.

Together, they push the sled over the edge with their feet and start the downhill adventure.

 

 

Despite his previous hesitation, Danny enjoys sledding down the mountain. He hasn’t done this in a long time, and feeling Steve’s strong arms around his body makes things even better. He could do this all day.

They’re halfway down the route when they come across a particularly bumpy part. While Danny tries to steer clear of those bumps, Steve seems hell bent on going right over them. They’re going to have a talk about this later!

Their fight to control the sled becomes too much in a sharp turn and Danny feels Steve’s grip around his waist loosen. Then, the weight behind Danny disappears completely and he feels his fiancé topple off the sled with a yelp.

Instantly, Danny digs his heels in and brings the sled to a halt. The frozen ground makes it difficult and it takes him a couple of seconds to actually stop. Looking over his shoulder, he sees Steve sitting on his butt, laughing, and brushing snow out of his hair. He blows out a relieved breath when he realizes that his pregnant fiancé seems fine.

“You’re an idiot, Steve! You’re _walking_ the rest of the way!” he yells. “Did you listen to anything I said before? You’re not supposed to go over bumps. You’re concussing our innocent child!”

Laughing, Steve gets up and shakes snow off his body. “Relax. They weren’t that bad.”

“You’re unbelievable,” Danny sighs and waves his hand at Steve. “Come here. You’re standing in the middle of the curve. If another sled is coming around that corner they won’t see you.”

The words have barely left Danny’s mouth when he hears loud voices; laughing, yelling and shouting. Their snowy surroundings swallow up a lot of sound, but Danny is positive that the noise is coming closer.

“Steve, get off the path!” he warns again.

But it’s too late. Steve has only taken two steps toward him, when a sled shoots around the corner.

“Steve!” Danny shouts in horror when he sees it heading straight for his partner. Steve hasn’t even fully turned toward it yet, when it barrels right into him.

Danny’s heart stops and he’s not sure who screams the loudest; Steve, the kid on the sled or he himself.

With a dull thud, Steve lands on his side. The kid falls off the sled as well and starts to scream and cry. Danny barely registers the other people that come to a halt next and around them. He has only eyes for the unmoving form of his fiancé.


	13. Downhill

Danny falls to his knees next to Steve, who lies with his back toward him. His hands hover over his fiancé’s body, not sure where to touch. With his heart beating like a jackhammer inside a chest that’s suddenly too tight again, he settles for putting one hand on Steve’s shoulder and the other on his side.

“Steve. Babe,” he says, voice almost breaking on the familiar term of endearment. Steve is conscious—thank god—but his eyes are screwed shut and every breath comes out in a short, panted gasp. The crash happened so fast, Danny can’t even tell where Steve could be hurt.

“Steve, please. Look at me. Tell me what hurts,” Danny pushes, resisting the urge to shake him. Steve hasn’t moved yet and Danny isn’t even sure he _can_ move. That thought alone tightens the knots in his stomach.

Steve’s eyelids part. His blue eyes are clouded with pain and confusion and it takes them a second or two to settle on Danny.

“Danny…” Steve breathes out. He tries to move then, only to groan in pain and slam his eyes shut again. He curls in on himself, right arm wrapped around his stomach, left one clenched to a tight fist.

“Steve!” Danny yells, hand cupping Steve’s jaw. His face is pale, too pale, and despite the cold Danny feels seeping into his own legs from where he's kneeling on the ground, Steve’s forehead is dotted with clammy sweat.

“Danny,” Steve repeats and swallows thickly. “My stomach…”

The words send a chill down Danny’s spine and he feels dizzy for a second. He grabs Steve’s hand and squeezes. “It’s gonna be okay, alright? Everything is going to be fine.”

Without warning, Steve twists away from Danny and vomits into the snow. Danny rubs his back, unable to do more than offer that meager amount comfort. He struggles to breathe, and he knows it’s got nothing to do with the gunshot wound he’s sustained all those months ago.

Suddenly, someone kneels down next to them and Danny whirls around. A man, tall and bearded, puts a hand on his shoulder. “I called for help,” the stranger says. His accent sounds Texan.

Danny’s gaze drifts over the man’s shoulder to the other people that are nearby. He sees a woman hugging the crying boy who ran Steve over. Another child, a girl who seems about four years old, is standing next to her, chewing on her pink glove. They must be a family.

“I’m really sorry about the accident. We told Patrick ten times to go slower,” the man, probably the boy’s father, explains with a heavy sigh.

Nodding, Danny looks back down at Steve. He’s stopped throwing up and is just lying there, breathing unevenly and clutching his stomach. Danny wants to promise him that everything is going to be fine; that the baby will be okay. But he can’t make that promise. Not when ugly fear twists his chest.

 

 

It doesn’t take long for help to arrive. A white and red helicopter hovers over them before slowly landing a bit further away. Two people come running toward them with a stretcher. Reluctantly, Danny backs away from Steve and allows them better access.

“What happened?” The first one asks while his colleague crouches down and starts speaking softly to Steve.

Danny blinks. “He got run over by a sled,” he explains. He wants to add more details, but everything in his head feels muddled. He doesn’t even know what exactly happened…

“My son crashed into him with his sled. The man landed flat on his back and hit his head pretty hard on the ground. He’s been complaining about pain in his stomach,” the child’s father adds helpfully. Danny gives him a thankful nod. Then he remembers the most important thing.

“Pregnant,” he blurts out. “He’s pregnant.”

The head of the medic next to Steve snaps up. "He's pregnant?" he asks again, lips pulled in a thin line. When Danny nods, the man turns back to Steve and addresses him again. As before, Danny can't understand what's being said. But the fact that Steve seems to respond to the questions he's being asked is at least a tiny bit reassuring.

The two men work in silence for the next few minutes, forcing Danny to wait helplessly on the sidelines. Suddenly, Steve extends his shaking hand and Danny is quick to grab it. Holding on tightly, he watches the two medics expertly transfer his fiancé to a gurney.

Everything happens so fast and before Danny knows what's going on, the man who called for help is gently pushing him toward the waiting chopper. "Go," he says, then hands Danny a crumpled piece of paper. "This is my phone number. We'll deal with the insurance stuff when you know your fiancé is going to be okay. Don't worry about the sled. We'll take care of it,” he promises, nodding at their discarded sled.

Nodding mutely, Danny stumbles after the gurney that carries his injured partner. He climbs into the helicopter and positions himself next to Steve, but out of the way of the two medics. He grabs his fiancé's cold hand again and watches with a racing heart how one medic inserts an IV in the back of Steve's hand, while the other unzips Steve's jacket and starts palpating his abdomen.

 

 

By the time they arrive at the closest hospital, Danny has lost all sense of time. He can't tell how long it's been since the accident. It might have been three hours, or just thirty minutes. Numbly, he stumbles after the gurney that carries Steve.

“I’m sorry, sir, but you can’t go through there,” a petite nurse stops him halfway down the hallway. She puts her hand on his arm and gently but persistently escorts him toward the check-in area. For the second time in less than a week, Danny is asked to fill out paperwork. With trembling hands, he grips the pen and starts to fill out the blanks.

After giving the clipboard back to the nurse, he walks to the large window in the waiting area. Staring outside, he fumbles for his cellphone. The young child inside of him wants to call his parents, but he does not want to worry them. Not again. And not as long as he doesn’t know the extent of Steve’s injuries.

But he needs to talk to someone. His emotions are threatening to crush him otherwise.

Without really meaning to, he dials his sister’s number and holds the phone to his ear. After just two rings, she picks up. The familiar voice is like balm on his tormented soul and he briefly closes his eyes. “Bridge…” he breathes out and proceeds to tell her everything.

 

 

Two hours pass and Danny is on the verge of going crazy. No one is able to tell him anything and every time he asks for an update, he’s told that they’re still running tests. Time is crawling and by the time a doctor finally approaches him, he’s sweaty and his blood pressure is off the charts.

“What’s going on with my fiancé?” he asks right away, unwilling to wait even one minute longer. He needs to see Steve—Now!—and make sure he’s doing okay.

Unfortunately, the doctor has other plans, and after introducing himself, he says, “Let’s talk in my office, shall we?”

Danny swallows and follows the elderly man. He’s been in this particular position enough times to know that being called into the doctor’s office is never a good sign. It’s the place where bad news are shared. Danny suppresses a shiver.

 

 

The doctor pushes a small bottle of water across his large glass desk and urges Danny to drink it. Danny wants to protest, but the doctor fixes him with a hard glare, so he obeys. He hasn’t even realized how thirsty he is until half the bottle is empty.

“We ran a bunch of tests on Commander McGarrett,” the doctor begins when he’s satisfied with the amount of water that’s been drunk. “He has a grade two concussion and two cracked ribs on the right side. His right wrist is also sprained.”

Danny winces. He never thought that snow could cause such serious injury. Rubbing sweaty palms on his thighs, he asks the questions he’s been dreading the most, “What about the baby? Is the baby okay?”

The doctor’s tired sigh feels like an icicle through Danny’s heart and he sucks in a breath. Swallowing against the sudden lump in the back of his throat, Danny leans forward, eyes wide.

“There is some bleeding,” the doctor explains quietly. “Our top gynecologist is treating the Commander and trying to find the precise reason for it but, at this point, we cannot make an accurate prognosis.”

“We might lose our baby?” Danny whispers quietly, because he has to know. He _has_ to! As much as this would hurt him, he knows that losing their unborn child would _destroy_ Steve. He would blame himself for it for the rest of his life.

The doctor looks at him with compassion in his hazel eyes. “It’s too early to say anything. Just know that we do everything we can to prevent a miscarriage.”

Blinking back tears, Danny nods. “I want to see him.”

 

 

Unlike last time, Steve is asleep when Danny is taken to his fiancé’s room. Sleep might be the wrong word for it. According to the doctor, they sedated Steve due to pain and the various tests they performed. Seeing Steve lying still and unmoving in bed, it takes all Danny has in him not to break down.

Slowly, he approaches the bed and picks up a limp hand. “Oh babe…” he breathes. Bringing the hand up to his lips, he gently kisses the back of his partner’s hand. No one can say how long Steve will be out. It might be a few hours, maybe more. But Danny will be ready. “We’ll get through this. Everything will be okay. I promise,” he says quietly and sits down in the hard plastic chair next to the bed. For the second time in just a few short days, he’s holding vigil at his partner’s side.


	14. Uphill

It’s after midnight when the pattern of Steve’s breathing changes and he starts to rouse. Danny, who has fallen into a light, restless doze, wakes up and leans forward. He rests one hand on his fiancé’s forehead, while the other one grips Steve’s wrist. “Steve. Can you hear me?”

Steve shifts a little on the thin mattress, forehead wrinkling, before his eyes open slowly. He blinks a couple of times and it seems to take him a moment to focus on Danny. “Danny…” he breathes out.

“Hey,” Danny whispers, thumb rubbing the spot between Steve’s eyebrows. “How are you feeling?”

Steve licks his cracked lips and sluggishly looks around the dimly lit room. “Hospital?” he mumbles, ignoring Danny’s question. His eyes close and he swallows thickly.

“You had an accident. A kid ran you over with a sledge. Do you remember that?” Danny asks, wondering and _hoping_ that his partner has a recollection of that. Or at least their trip to the mountains.

“Not sure…” Steve breathes, causing the worry to ramp up in Danny’s gut. He blinks his eyes back open. “My head is killing me…”

“You have a concussion and some cracked ribs. And a sprained wrist,” Danny lists. He watches Steve squint at the brace on his right wrist. “How are you feeling?” he tries again.

Steve lowers his wrist back down and thinks for a moment. “Dizzy. Sick,” he answers and takes a deep breath. An expression of pain crosses his features and he tugs his left hand out of Danny’s grasp. “My stomach hurts,” he mutters, clutching his middle. “Danny…”

The swell of emotions that threatens to engulf Danny is overwhelming. The pain and horror he sees in Steve’s glassy eyes is almost his undoing. “It’s gonna be okay,” Danny says, not sure if he’s trying to convince himself or Steve.

“You warned me…” Steve whispers. He squeezes his eyes shut. “You told me it wasn’t a good idea and I didn’t listen.”

The heart monitor behind Steve’s bed starts to beep faster, increasing Danny’s concern. “Babe, you need to calm down. Please. You need rest.”

But Steve doesn’t listen. Paired with the concussion and other injuries, Steve seems to be lost in a world of guilt. He twists away from Danny and rolls onto his side. His left hand clutches the railing of the bed. If it’s due to physical or emotional pain, Danny doesn’t know.

Scrambling to his feet, Danny leans over his distressed fiancé’s body. “Steve, this isn’t your fault. It was an accident.”

“Did I loose the baby?” Steve asks quietly.

Danny rubs his shoulder. “No. But there is some bleeding.”

Steve nods, still avoiding looking at Danny. “I’m sorry.”

Danny squeezes his shoulder. “What did I say?” he says softly. “This isn’t your fault.” When Steve doesn’t reply, Danny adds, “Let me call the nurse. I’ll let her know that you woke up.” With that, he slips out of the room. He feels that Steve needs a few minutes to figure things out in his head.

 

 

A few hours later, around lunchtime, Steve stares at the bowl of soup and the handful of crackers on his tray. He’s not hungry. The concussion is messing with his stomach and the constant cramping in his lower abdomen makes things even worse. Danny, who is still sitting next to him, encourages him to at least _try_ the food.

“It won’t stay down, Danny. Trust me,” Steve says, frustration lacing his voice. He understands that Danny wants him to get better and keep up his strength, but he’s not feeling well. And puking is the last thing he wants to do right now.

Danny sighs and scrubs a hand over his face. He looks tired. Exhausted, even, and the stubble on his cheeks and chin is on its way of becoming a real beard. “Go back to the hotel, Danny. You need to sleep in a real bed.”

“I’m okay,” Danny replies and smiles. But Steve can see through the façade.

“Danny, please,” Steve begs.

“I don’t want to leave you alone. What if something happens?” Danny asks, and Steve can see the anguish in his fiancé’s blue eyes. Maybe Danny isn’t just staying in the hospital for Steve’s sake, but also for his own. Maybe he needs this even more than Steve does.

Reaching out, Steve grabs Danny’s hand and squeezes. “Okay, fine. I won’t kick you out of here. But only if you take away this food. The smell of it makes me all nauseous.”

Chuckling, Danny grabs the tray and moves it to the bedside table. “Deal.”

With a grateful smile, Steve relaxes back against the pillows and closes his eyes. His head is pounding and every bump and bruise from the accident is hurting. Not to mention the pulling sensation in his belly. The doctor had come in earlier for another ultrasound. Things are looking a little better, but there is still a bit of bleeding that forces Steve to remain in bed. Until they are one hundred percent sure that they baby will be fine, Steve is on strict bed rest.

“How are you feeling?” Danny asks. He’s moved from sitting in the chair next to the bed to sitting on the bed, next to Steve’s hip. His left hand is gently rubbing Steve’s belly through the blanket.

“Been better,” Steve admits with a tired smile. “Headache is ramping up again. Concussions are the worst,” he sighs as he reaches up to rub his forehead. He’s already thrown up twice today. He really doesn’t want to add a third time to the list.

“Let me call the nurse. She can give you an antiemetic,” Danny suggests, already reaching for the call button.

But Steve shakes his head. “I can’t have one for another two hours. I’ll just try to sleep it off.”

The words have barely left Steve’s mouth, when he dozes off. Danny watches his fiancé for a while, making sure he’s comfortable, before he slips out of the room. He walks down the hallway and finds a quiet corner. He takes a deep breath and digs his phone out of his pocket. The battery is on the low side, which means that he’ll have to go back to the hotel sooner or later. Not only to charge his phone, but also to change his clothes. He’s been wearing the same stuff for almost twenty-four hours.

Danny types in his parents’ phone number and waits. It rings three times before he hears his mother’s voice.

_“This is Clara.”_

“Ma, it’s me.”

_“Daniel. How nice to hear from you. Are you enjoying your vacation? Is Steve having a good time?”_

Danny slumps against the wall and stares through the window onto the snow-covered and foggy streets. “Steve’s in the hospital. Again.”

There’s a moment of silence on the other end of the line before his mother speaks again. _“What happened?”_

And Danny proceeds to tell his mother about the accident and Steve’s injuries. By the end of it, he’s fighting tears and he wonders if Steve might be right and he really does need some sleep. His emotions are barely controllable.

 _“Sweetheart, your father and I can be on our way in less than an hour,”_ Clara says and Danny feels warmth spread through his chest. He doesn’t know what he would do without parents like that.

“It’s okay, Ma. Steve needs a lot of rest.”

 _“And what do_ you _need?”_ Clara asks.

“I… I need Steve and our baby to be okay. That’s all,” Danny says quietly, letting his chin drop to his chest.

_“They will be fine. And if you need us; call. Alright, honey?”_

“Yes, Ma. Thank you.”

Clara goes on to tell Danny about the last couple of days at home. He tells him about how Bridget’s kids built a snowman twice their size and how Eric fixed the broken shed in the backyard along with his grandpa. Hearing about normal stuff uncoils the tension in Danny’s chest and he is able to relax a bit. As his mother guessed, that’s exactly what he needed.

 

 

A few minutes later, Danny quietly sneaks back into Steve’s room. A nurse must have come in while he was on the phone, because the lights are dimmed and the tray with the lunch is gone. With a smile, Danny steps closer and watches his fiancé sleep.

Carefully, he sits down on the mattress again and runs his hand through Steve’s dark hair. “I love you,” he whispers.

Tired eyes open slowly and meet Danny’s. Steve reaches out with his free hand and tugs at Danny’s wrist. “Come here…” he mutters sleepily. Danny wants to resist at first, because the bed is way too narrow for two grown people, but Steve’s doesn’t let go.

In the end, Danny is tucked under Steve’s left shoulder with his head resting on his partner’s chest. With a content smile, Danny closes his eyes and lets his mind drift off.


	15. Human Hibernation

Danny is rubbing his forehead, where a persistent ache has taken up residence. He had returned to the hotel in the early hours of the morning to shower, change his clothes and charge his phone. Steve had still been asleep when he left, oblivious to the world around him. Danny had left him a note.

Now, two hours later, resting Steve is ancient history. Instead, he’s sitting on the side of the bed, arguing with his doctor.

“Doc, please, I’m fine. I don’t need to stay here another night,” Steve argues with Doctor Montgomery, who seems to have the same kind of Steve-related headache that Danny has.

“Commander McGarrett,” the doctor sighs, not for the first time. “All your tests and ultrasounds look good, but you still need rest—”

“Exactly,” Steve interrupts. “And don’t you think I’d be getting _more_ and _better_ rest in a familiar environment? Somewhere where I’m _not_ woken up by nurses every two hours? There’s nothing more you can do for my wrist or ribs anyway. And I know what to look out for with concussions.”

The doctor looks over the rim of his glasses, eyebrows raised. Then he glances at Danny. “Is he always this stubborn?” he mutters, followed by another heavy sigh.

Danny just shrugs. “Yeah, pretty much.”

Steve glares at Danny, but then focuses back on Doctor Montgomery. “Come on. I’m feeling fine. And I don’t want to spend New Year’s Eve coped up in here.”

The doctor considers his patient’s plea for a few moments. Danny bits his lower lip, waiting.

Eventually, the doctor blows out a breath and throws up his hands. “Fine. I will discharge you. But before that, you will undergo another exam. A very _thorough_ one. Deal?”

“Deal,” Steve agrees, grinning like a little kid. Danny can’t help but smile as well. Steve is nothing if not persistent.

 

 

In the afternoon, Danny gets to drive his fiancé home. Steve had endured Doctor Montgomery’s examination without making a peep and even allowed an orderly to wheel him into the parking lot. Danny is impressed.

“Are you comfortable?” Danny asks a few minutes into the car ride back to the hotel. It’s snowing again and large snowflakes are forcing him to reduce his speed to an almost snail-like pace.

Steve, who is sitting in the passenger seat with his eyes closed, nods. “Yeah, fine,” he replies, then smiles tiredly. It looks like the argument with the doctor and the examination that followed has tired him out. “I’m just glad to be out of the hospital. _Again_.”

Chuckling, Danny reaches out and grabs Steve’s hand. “Yeah, me too,” he says.

At an intersection, Danny takes the time to look at his fiancé. Steve is still pale, a far cry from his usual golden tan. But that could just be due to the lack of sun. After all, Steve isn’t used to the gray and cold weather in Jersey.

Next, Danny’s eyes drift to the white brace that peeks out from underneath Steve’s sweater. It’s there to support his injured hand. Said hand is resting on Steve’s stomach. If it’s there to protect the baby or the injured ribs, Danny doesn’t know.

“It’s not nice to stare, Danno,” Steve interrupts his metal assessment with an amused smirk. Danny startles.

“I’m just making sure you’re alright,” he mumbles, just as the light jumps to green.

Steve snorts. “I am. Don’t worry. Just a headache, is all.”

Danny squeezes his fiancé’s hand. “We’re almost there.”

 

 

By the time they pull up in front of the hotel, Danny knows that Steve’s headache has reached migraine-like proportions. He’s had his fair share of concussions in the past and he knows they’re no walk in the park. With one hand around Steve’s waist, he leads him toward the elevators and up to their room.

Inside, Steve makes a beeline for the bed and sinks down with a groan. Before Danny can even order him to take off his shoes, he pitches sideways and buries his face in the pillows. “Finally,” he breathes.

Danny just shakes his head and then proceeds to take off Steve’s boots. Steve mumbles his thanks, but it’s clear to Danny that his partner is already off to Lalaland.

After making sure that his pregnant partner is in a comfortable position, Danny undresses himself and closes all the blinds. It’s still light outside, but the last couple of days have taken their toll. After turning off all lights, Danny climbs into bed as well and cuddles up to Steve. And, just like him, he’s asleep within minutes.

 

 

Steve wakes up when it’s dark outside. Blinking his eyes, he carefully extracts himself from Danny’s hold and slips out of bed. He’s hit by a wave of dizziness once he’s upright, but that’s to be expected. It’s all due to the concussion.

In the dark, Steve feels his way across the room and towards the bathroom. He doesn’t want to turn on the light, because Danny’s still sleeping. And, after the days they’ve had, he deserves every minute of sleep he can get.

Quietly, Steve shuts the door behind his back before turning on the bathroom’s overhead light. It’s almost blinding and he grunts in pain. Stupid concussion.

He shuffles over to the toilet and takes care of business. When he washes his hands afterwards, he takes a look at himself in the mirror. He looks terrible. With his right hand, he lifts the hem of his shirt and takes a closer look at his side. He flinches at the sight. A large, colorful bruise is hugging his entire side. Carefully, he prods the worst of the bruise. When he hits the most tender spot, he hisses. These ribs are definitely cracked. Steve blows out a breath. But they will heal. Just like his wrist and the concussion. And, most importantly, the baby is fine.

Looking down at his growing bump, he smiles. “Danno is going tell you that I’m a trouble magnet. And I let you in on a little secret; he’s right,” he adds, whispering. “But don’t tell him I said that.” There’s a little twinge in his abdomen and Steve chuckles.

Suddenly realizing that he’s wide awake and not tired anymore, Steve looks around. He doesn’t want to disturb Danny, but there’s not much to do in the plain bathroom. He could take a bath, but the noise of running water would certainly wake his fiancé.

Scratching his neck, Steve looks around for something to occupy him. His eyes land on a brochure that is tucked under a pile of neatly folded towels. Curiously, he picks it up and takes a closer look. It’s a brochure for the hotel’s spa. Interest peaked, Steve sits down on the edge of the tub and starts reading it. Then, an idea pops into his head and he reaches for the phone that’s attached to the wall.

 

 

When Danny opens his eyes, he halfway expects to sit in an uncomfortable plastic chair next to a hospital bed. It takes his sleepy brain a few seconds to connect and remember everything but, when he does, he sits up and looks around.

“Good morning,” Steve greets him with a smile. He’s sitting in one of the armchairs next to the fireplace, sipping a cup of tea. In front of him, beautifully arranged, is breakfast.

“How did that get here?” Danny asks, voice still scratchy from sleep. He rubs his eyes and sits up.

“How do you think it got here? I ordered it,” Steve explains with an eyeroll. “Coffee?”

Danny runs his hands through his hair and swings his legs over the edge of the mattress. He stifles a yawn. “Please.” Then he shuffles over to the table and drops into the second armchair. “What time is it?” he asks as he accepts the steaming coffee from Steve.

“A little after seven,” Steve replies. “To be honest, I was getting worried you’d slipped into some kind of human hibernation mode.”

Danny is stunned by the time. He’s slept for over fourteen hours. “I guess I needed that,” he shrugs and takes a sip from the coffee.

Steve offers him a croissant and Danny gladly accepts. They haven’t had dinner the night before and his growling stomach is demanding food now. With a satisfied hum, he takes a big bite.

“I have plans for us today,” Steve suddenly announces and Danny freezes. He quickly forces down the bite in his mouth, almost choking on it.

“Plans?” he coughs around the piece of croissant that got stuck in his throat. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“It’s nothing dangerous,” Steve calms him. “In fact, it’s the complete opposite. It’s relaxing. And it’s going to be good for us.” He rubs his belly. “ _And_ for the baby.”

Danny squints. He and Steve don’t often see eye to eye when it comes to the definition of dangerous and relaxing. “And what, pray tell, is your _plan_?”

“A couple’s massage,” Steve says and shoves a brochure in Danny’s face. “I already called them and made an appointment for us at nine. Ninety of pure relaxation.”

Glancing at the brochure, Danny is actually impressed. It seems like their definitions of the word _relax_ seem to line up for once. “That sounds great,” he agrees and smiles.

Steve, who seems to be incredibly proud of himself for coming up with the idea, leans forward and pulls Danny into a kiss. “That’s not all,” he mumbles against his lips. “I made dinner reservations in the hotel’s Italian restaurant. They have a special New Year’s Eve menu.”

Danny blinks. It suddenly dawns on him that tonight is the day of the year. Where did the time go?

“You okay?” Steve asks, frowning.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m good,” Danny replies. “I just realized that, this time next year, we will have a baby with us. How crazy is that?”

Laughing, Steve pulls Danny in for another kiss.

 

 

The music in the spa is soothing and relaxing. The air smells of lavender and Danny feels the tension that has taken up residence in his body slowly ebb away. Steve is right; this is _exactly_ what they need.

A tiny woman in white clothes leads them into a small room with two massage tables. She pours them each a glass of chilled cucumber water and briefly explains what they will be doing before taking both their bathrobes, leaving them only in their swim trunks.

Then, she directs them to the massage tables. While Danny positions himself on his belly, the woman helps Steve to lay down on his side and puts a pillow between his thighs. Danny swallows when he sees the vivid bruises on his fiancé’s body.

Shortly after, two masseuses enter the room. They introduce themselves before getting to work. Danny enjoys the feeling of soft hands gliding over his body, massaging out the tight kinks in his back and neck. The oil smells and feels great and he soon finds himself falling into some kind of doze. The massage is pure bliss.

When Danny opens his eyes again, he doesn’t know how much time has passed. He’s no lying on his back, and even though he has no recollection of even turning, he’s still fully relaxed.

He turns his head to the right and smiles when he sees Steve. His partner is lying on his side, completely peaceful, while the masseuse gently rubs oil all over his belly.

Danny closes his eyes again and just absorbs the moment.


End file.
